Not Quite Dating
by Punkpoet69
Summary: Gabriella finds herself divorced and looking for a fling, but in a small Texan town with a population of 764, it's not possible without giving people something more to talk about other than her cheating ex husband and good for nothing backstabbing ex-best friend. Not to mention she's already sharing room and board with the town playboy/her boss/ex-husband's former best friend.
1. Chapter 1

_**I do not own High School Musical or its characters.* **_

"With all the money you make off me, shouldn't you be able you afford to fix the cracks in your ceiling, Michael?" she asked watching as his eyes ran across her manuscript.

Her agent didn't bother acknowledging her, his full attention was devoted to the first three chapters she'd submitted just yesterday in e-mail. She studied him as he read. Michael Hennings was the most unlikely looking agent she'd ever seen. If she had to cast him in a book, he'd be an ex-Navy sergeant – a hulk who dressed in fine suits, French cuffed shirts, and silk ties.

His office looked like him, too. The lines were simple and the colors muted, but all together it looked sharp and expensive.

"This is shit."

"Don't hold back. Tell me what you really think about my blood, sweat and tears," Gabriella said pushing herself up in her seat. In reality she knew it was shit. It was below shit. To call it shit was romanticizing.

"Gabriella, you have six weeks until the deadline, and you just handed me three of the worst chapters you've ever written. Your first novel was better than this."

Gabriella winced, "They aren't _that_ bad."

"Gabriella it's shit," he repeated distinctly.

"It needs some editing but-"

He picked up a page and read out loud, _"All men were bastards. At least hers would be good looking, even if his chin was weak." _

Gabriella shrugged, "The hero has to have some flaws."

"This hero is more than flawed." He picked up the pages and tossed them into the garbage. "This hero is an asshole."

"I made him realistic," she said as she reached into the garbage and retrieved the chapters, slipping them into her bag for later.

Michael heaved a sigh and ran a hand over his face. "Isn't it time you got over Jason?"

Her spine stiffened automatically, "Okay one the divorce was made final like three months ago and two this has nothing to do with Jason."

"It has everything to do with him. You're bashing your hero because one man hurt you."

"He did not hurt me."

Michael cocked a brow.

Humiliated, yes. Hurt, hell no. A woman had to care to be hurt and there was no way Gabriella cared about Jason. Looking back she wasn't sure she ever did. "I'm not hurt."

Michael didn't look like he believed her, but he didn't argue. Instead he got all business-like. "Fact of the matter is you have a deadline in six weeks and you've delivered nothing your editor will accept. Unless you want to destroy your career after all the hard work to get to this point, I'd suggest you get cracking and churn out one of the romance novels you're famous for."

That was the problem. She was running out ideas. Running out of stories to be famous for, it was like her imagination was in overdrive and everything had come to a screeching halt. Her first book had been a veiled account of her parents' courtship and marriage. Ever since then she'd just started fantasying about romance, dreaming up these fantastic men and falling in love with them book after book.

This next book was supposed to be her story. Her and Jason, finally an actual book about her falling in love for real, that was, until her marriage fell apart. Not exactly the greatest romance to write about. But what was she suppose to do? Scrap the whole story and start over? She didn't have another romance to replace this story. And frankly, it was crazy to start over with the deadline six weeks away. If she could just make to the ending of the story then she could go back and figure out some way to tweak it.

Knowing that Michael was waiting for a response she nodded. "I've got it all under control."

For a second time, he didn't look like he believed her. "Get the old Brie Carmichael back. That's what people pay for. That's what put your current release at number eight on New York Times bestseller list."

Brie Carmichael, a pen name that her and Michael had stayed up until the late night hours picking out just so she could keep her identity a secret. "Right," Gabriella said getting up from her seat. "I won't let you down."

"For your sake, I hope not."

An hour later Gabriella let out a sigh as she placed the bridge of her nose against the steering wheel. She was parked in the driveway peeking at the house from above the steering wheel. She was a grown woman. She could do this. She was going to do this. She had to do this.

"What on earth are you doing out here?" Sharpay's voice chimed as she leaned in on the window. "Where have you been? People are asking? They think you killed yourself or something? With the news of Jason leaving town with Martha and all," that cute country accent rolled off her tongue and Gabriella looked up at Sharpay with a force smile. The sounds of a party could be heard behind the house, which, was perfect because she was due for drink.

"I had a meeting with Michael," Gabriella said as she hopped out of the white pickup truck and shut the door behind her. Sharpay was the only one who knew her secret about being a writer. As far as everyone was concerned Gabriella Montez was just some girl working the front desk at Troy's Auto and balancing the books for him in exchange for room and board.

"Not good?" Sharpay winced.

"Do you think I need to get over Jason?"

"Didn't you just sign the divorce papers?" Sharpay said bringing her red solo cup up to her lips. Her blond hair was braided into two pigtails with loose tendrils coming down the side. Leave it to Sharpay to have perfect hair even in this heat wave.

"Like three months ago?"

"Try twelve weeks and 3 days ago," Sharpay said a little surprised to even be having this conversation. "I always knew that boy was born on the wrong side of the blanket."

Her life had taken a lot of unexpected twist and turns in the last seven years, from her mother's house burning down to moving all the way out here and meeting Jason and Troy. Granted when she packed all she had in her truck along with her golden retriever, Blue, she didn't have the faintest idea about where she was going. Her parents were dead, she was an only child and any family she might have had was somewhere she'd never been.

When she arrived in Payne Springs, Texas it was a night she'd never forget. It'd been pouring rain and her car had gotten stuck in a ditch. Her and Blue walked up the road until they saw this bar, where she walked in and was asking about a tow when these two guys sitting in a back booth stood up and came to her rescue. Hitting it off with both Troy and Jason had been a no brainer. They were both decent guys, country grown and devilishly handsome.

Jason had been such a charmer, a real saint who just been so welcoming and kind. Troy offered to tow her tuck back to the garage for the night. She had been forever grateful. The boys became so much a part of her life; Troy gave her a small job at the auto shop behind a desk. Jason and her fell head over heels looking back at it now possibly a little too fast, too soon and they married after their first year of dating.

Troy had always been there as a friend for her, and she trusted him. When they'd walked in and caught Jason in the act, her ex had tried coming toward her with explanations rolling of his tongue. Troy had come out of left field shocking her from her stunned state and punched his childhood friend in the mouth and ever since then, he'd been beside her through thick and thin.

"I'm going to sleep with Troy," Gabriella said as she reached for her bag from the back of the truck and opened the tailgate to let Blue out.

Sharpay's face shifted, "What?"

"I'm going to do it," she said with a little more confidence as she began walking towards the house Blue following behind her. Blue was the dedicated type. Ever since she first got him as a pup he followed her everywhere and hung on her ever word. He was turning eight years old this year and he was still as faithful and playful as the day she brought him home from the pound.

"Don't you think you should ask him out first? I mean he'll take up with any hound that'll hunt." Sharpay said as she quickly sprinted to catch up. "I honestly don't know how you waited this long. I mean, hell. You two are in his garage all day, every day mostly alone for how many hours?"

"Eight." Gabriella let out a deep breath, "and not every day." Just six days, but that seemed like too small a thing to point out. "Customers come in, too. And the phone rings off the hook. And the paper work. Really it would be useless to try to start anything there."

Sharpay raised her brows. "You're speaking ten words a second, with gusts to fifty."

"I need a drink."

"Here have mine," Sharpay handed her the cup and Gabriella looked inside at the slushy tart drink. "You're going to need courage. With a plan like this you can't be as shy as a mail-order bride. It'll make asking him out easier. What are you going to suggest? Not much to do in town. Oh I know, get him to take you to Little Rock for some fun."

"We already do movies and dinner all the time," Gabriella said bringing the cup to her lips as they walked inside and up to her bedroom which was right next to his. Their bedrooms were mirror images including their headboards parked on the same wall. From the moaning, screaming yelping and pleading coming through that wall at night until women left in the wee hours of the morning, Gabriella knew the man had some stamina and skills. And damn it, she wanted her world rocked by more than her vibrator.

Troy could do that. Not only did he apparently have god-like abilities, the man was built like one, too. Images of his muscular body and all he could do with it had provoked her last bestselling novel. Well it had also been about this old couple who came into the auto garage one day and had inspired her with their 58 years of marriage but most of every man loving description had all been about Troy.

Gabriella took a big sip of her drink as she tossed her bag with her manuscript inside it behind the bed. Her wall above her desk was littered in post its. Her desk covered in notes. Post its and notes that were shit. She needed inspiration. She needed to get over Jason and put the past behind her. What better what to do that then some no strings attached sex with Troy. She was thinking about the flex of his shoulders when he was shirtless in his garage when she realized Sharpay was talking.

"So you want more?"

Just a little spice was all she needed. Nothing raunchy or overly kinky, but some spice. "Yeah something other than vanilla." Was that too much for a girl to ask? She didn't think so. She crossed her fingers and hopped he wouldn't either. "I'm just going to ask him for sex."

Sharpay's mouth dropped in mock horror. "You slut."

Gabriella rolled her eyes; Sharpay had a way with the language. She was a true Texan and trust fund baby, which meant she was more likely to say the weirdest things and always overspend for attention. Sharpay nudged her with an elbow as she sat down on the bed. "Need me to kick everyone out?"

"Shut up. You're supposed to give me advice to make this easier."

Sharpay let out a sigh as she placed a hand on hip, "Then I suggest you put on something that makes the girls look a little more excited and head on downstairs before some little tramp snatches him up for the night."

Gabriella let out a moan, Sharpay was right.

Later in tightly fitted spaghetti strap top and a shorter pair of shorts Gabriella licked the last bit of salt from her now-empty plastic cup when she spotted the fine piece of hardened, tanned flesh prowling through the crowd. Yes, prowling through the crowd. Troy took long strides his eyes always searching and looking around. Something between the pit of her stomach and libido and possibly even up around her heart took a jumping kick-start.

Ah Troy Bolton. How had she known the man for so long and not realized all this? Her thoughts darkened as her ex-husband's face intruded. She kicked him out of her head. She would not have her thought ruined with other thoughts of the cheating bastard. And she wasn't hurt.

She'd rather lust after Troy, and return to watching the man who'd haunted her dreams, both day and night. When a woman with half a brain thought Troy Bolton, visions of sex were sure to happen. Now she just had to do something so she'd have more than just visions to go to bed with at night.

She watched as Troy talked to Kelsi who's flattened hand was sprawled out across his chest and making the alcohol-induced jealousy churn inside her. She had no claim on Troy. They'd been friends for a long time, but they weren't friends _like that. _Being friends _like that _never even came up between them. She licked her suddenly dry lips. At least, not yet. And it never would if that woman didn't get her hands off his stomach and quit whispering things in his ear.

Blue came up from behind her nudging the back of her knee with his nose to get her attention. "Hey Blue," she said quietly, "How's your day going, probably a lot better than mine." Coming down she gave him a good scratching behind his ears. Blue had been her longest consistent relationship with a male in her entire life. She'd be lost without his golden snout resting at the foot of her bed each and every night. He was indeed a gentle giant who followed her everywhere and everyone loved him.

"You're going to owe me a free oil change for this," Sharpay said coming over and taking her empty cup.

"For what?" Gabriella said suddenly missing her cup. Perhaps she should have stopped at three margaritas. Or two. But Sharpay was already walking away.

"Kelsi! Hey girl."

Kelsi looked up from Troy and waved.

"It's hot as heck out here and getting late. I'm heading over to Chad's place, I think the Braves are playing and he's got some people coming over. Wanna come with me?"

And just like that Kelsi peeled her hand off Troy's chest and the nausea doing an acid rain dance in Gabriella's belly stopped.

At the lost of his companion Troy swaggered towards her, looking all rugged and waiting to be tossed in sheets. Maybe two drinks would have been plenty. Then again two, six or none, probably wouldn't have mattered. Over the past few months Troy always looked ready to wrestle naked.

The alcohol went back to warming Gabriella's blood. Need shuddered through her making her panties a little wet. She quickly got up to her feet and leaned against the gate needing the support when the swooshing affects of the alcohol took its toll.

"Hey there Blue," Troy greeted as he patted him behind the ear, "Hey there beautiful," he said looking up at Gabriella with a relaxed sigh.

Oh the things that man was capable of. She didn't know a lot about sexual variety. Her ex-husband had kept things very civil. But from what she heard through the sheetrock, Troy was anything but vanilla. Sex with Troy must be like wining the Triple Crown, Super Bowl, and World Series all in one night. Things she'd been uncertain about in the past she wanted to get down and do. And get dirty, even.

Sweaty and twisty and panting for air. All in the name of research! Her readers needed to know, it was after all… what Michael had said?… _it was what they pay for? _She shivered and pushed hair from her face. Wow. She was not supposed to be the tramp here, but man, she couldn't help it. She thought of him at night when she could hear his grunts. In the mornings as his shower ran, all she wanted to do was to get in there with him.

During the day while she balanced his books and ran the front office of his garage, she wanted to walk into the shop wearing a trench coat and get busy on a radiator. A few times, though she'd never admit it to anyone, she'd used her vibrator along with his noise in the evenings. Oh yes she had. Heat flamed her faced thankful for the July sun she knew he probably wouldn't be able to tell.

"Hey Troy,"

"When did you get here?" he asked bring a beer up to his lips for a sip.

"Oh some time ago," Gabriella said tucking a lose strand of hair behind her ear.

"How was your doctor's visit?"

"What?" she asked caught off guard.

Troy raised a brow, "You told me you had a doctor's visit today?"

"Right," Gabriella flushed and stumbled back a little as she gripped the fence behind her for dear life. Why did she have to drink so much? "It went fine, I'm as healthy as a horse."

"That's my girl." Troy's arm snaked around her shoulders and hugged her against his side. As usual, he looked glad to see her. She hopped he was super happy, because he too, laid awake at night thinking of doing the nasty with her. Then again, he could just be glad to see her because he was Troy and good to her. Either way, she leaned into him as he pulled her close.

She dropped her head against his shoulder as she'd done so many times before. Only now, as she'd been doing for the past six or eight weeks, she imaged her head there while gasping for air, pictured his big coarse hands on her naked skin, gripping her hips. His big blue eyes stared at her, and she swallowed her fear. It was time to get this out there and confront it.

She wanted scintillating sex and she wanted it from Troy. If he said no to this sex idea, she was confident they could go back to their routine. It would be a silly request and nothing more chalked up to the fact that she hadn't been laid in over a year.

"Troy?" she said counting on her four margaritas, "I wanted to ask you something."

He stared down at her, waiting, expecting more. And there was more to say but at the moment it was logged in her throat. It was just sex. It wasn't the man in question causing all these nerves, it was the act itself. The last man she had dance the horizontal with she'd married. Said man had since left her for one of her best friend and moved some twenty hours west. But Gabriella was over that. And she wasn't hurt. The sting wasn't so bad anymore. Mostly.

What hadn't dissipated was a ridiculous nagging curiosity. This dig had started very small and hidden away. For months, the thought had remained in the back of her head. When she'd found Jason and Martha together, he'd been doing her from behind over the arm of the couch. They'd been doing the nasty, super nasty-like. He'd had her hair fisted in his hand, forcing her spine into an uncomfortable looking arch. It had looked excessively dirty compared to their missionary sex. After the initial shock and hatred wore off a few months later, Gabriella wondered why she and Jason had never had sex like that. Had he thought she wouldn't have been open to roughing it up a bit?

Troy squeezed her against his side, hugging her close and then loosened his grip. "Here I am. At your service all night long."

That was a loaded statement if she ever heard one. She swallowed and fumbled around trying to find a polite way to ask for dirty-ish sex. She was pretty sure there wasn't one. "I need some help."

He didn't wait a beat. "I'm all yours, doll, ask away."

Gabriella took a deep breath as she looked up at him and put a little distance between them so she could stand on her own two feet. People around them were getting ready to leave and the party was almost over. In few moments they would be alone.

"Never known you to be so quiet," he teased.

"I want rough…er, sex." Gabriella quickly shut her eyes afraid of his reaction.

He watched her for a long moment, and finally he chuckled. "Funny."

There was her way out of this conversation. She could laugh with him and that'd be the end of it. But she didn't want out. "I'm not being funny."

"Uh-huh. And how much did you have to drink?" he tugged on her hair. "Not like you to drink this much."

"I've only had a few." And she was feeling damn sober at the moment. "I'm serious."

His mouth dropped open and his arms fell away from her shoulders. His eyes drifted closed as he shook his head, "Gabriella, what is this about?"

She shrugged, "I just want to. I want to find out what it's like."

His mouth snapped shut. His jaw tightened, giving her the first sign of just how big of a mistake this might be, but she refused to give up, so she forged on. "I want something more than just plain vanilla."

"Hey guys! Great barbeque, I'll call you tomorrow about the tractor," Mr. Paterson said on his way out.

Troy nodded and lifted a hand to wave him off before turning back to Gabriella, "Why me?"

Gabriella taken aback by his question shrugged, "Why not, I mean we're friends and you have a lot of experience?"

"What?" Troy lifted a hand to back of his neck to rub at the tension.

"See you guys next weekend at the tailgate, Gabriella dear, so sorry to hear about Jason and Martha moving away. You're much better off without them!" Mrs. Baker walked by carrying her empty bowl that had been filled with potato salad.

Gabriella nodded a little mortified by her life story being so public and about the expression to run on Troy's face right about now as he stared off into the distance.

"We've been living together for months now, maybe even a year, our beds are against the same wall. And well, I think, from what I've heard, that is, you could help me." Still no response from him, "Troy? Say something?"

"No," he said looking back up at her, "Gabriella this is bad idea,"

"Gabriella," an older woman came up to them reaching around and giving her a hug, "you look amazing, I was just telling my son about your new status," she added and Gabriella returned the hug not knowing what else to do.

"Is that right," she said nervously.

"I'll tell him to give you a call."

"Alright," Gabriella said shrugging her shoulders as the woman patted Troy on the chest and began to walk off. Gabriella took a step back as she looked around at the few people still around trying to maintain a casual I'm-so-cool-I-can-ask-for-sex look. "It would just be a couple of encounters."

"Encounters?" he echoed with a shake of his head, "What is this something out of the X Files? I think I should put you to bed."

She shook her head. "I've never had anything exciting. It's always been just a rub over my hip, a stroke down my thigh, and that's it. And that was okay, but I want more. I want to be used and-"

"I don't want to hear this," he said pulling her to him and making their way towards the house. "I think this is just case of depression mixed with a little alcohol."

Blue followed behind them and Gabriella ran three steps ahead to stop him in the doorway. The blast of the air conditioning slapped her with a whole new sense of drive. She could do this. She needed inspiration, she needed ideas, she needed something else, something new she wanted what she'd been fantasying about for the last five months and that was Troy Bolton's naked body driving hers wild. "What I'm saying is, it was always the same. Eighty percent of the time, I was on the bottom."

"Not listening." He put his hand to her back to turn her around as he pushed her inside.

"I'm not asking for a lot, just something up against a door. Or in the shower. I don't want to be chained up and beaten with a whip. I just want a little something more."

He turned to face her. His eyes were narrowed. His hands were balled into fist at his sides. "So what, you'll call me after getting out of the shower? After shaving your legs and just tell me to come over?"

She squirmed. "I hadn't worked out all details yet."

"You can't just decide one day to have wild sex with me."

"I didn't." The words snapped out harder than she wanted, but she couldn't help it. He'd struck a nerve. It wasn't like she'd decided this was a good idea thirty minutes ago. She'd been dithering over it for months, considered it on those late nights while hearing grunts, groans and moans from his bedroom. "Isn't this every guy's wet dream? To have a woman ready and willing at anytime?"

"No. Not like this." He looked downright angry.

"You'd have a woman at your beck and call. Anytime, anywhere," she teased trying to get a little laugh out of him and the Troy she knew back, but he wasn't smiling. It hit her then. _He already has that. _She sobered. "You're not into me that way."

"Gabriella."

She shook her head and turned for the stairs, blinking away ridiculous tears. She knew that this had been a possibility, but she just…sighed. She really hadn't decided what to do if he said no. "It's fine. I did just throw this on you all at once I didn't consider that you couldn't think of me in that way."

"I-"

Just then three little kids came bounding down the stairs and around the bend cutting Troy off as he step aside and made room for them to leave. The interruption was small and even though Gabriella was fast he was on her heels in an instant.

"Gabriella."

"Forget it." His rejection pinched a lot harder than she'd been expecting it to, which was silly, because quick casual sex was all this had been about, anyway. It wasn't a relationship he turned down, but it still felt like a rejection of her specifically. And tomorrow she'd play the drunk card and pretend to not remember a moment of it.

Just as she wrapped her hand around the door knob Troy spun her around at the door and leaned over her, around her, and covered her, holding her there so she had no way to run off on him again. He was like a winter coat and she the cold lonely body beneath it. And boy was she warming up. His eyes came down seeming to stop on her lips and linger there as they both caught their breath. He'd never been this close before, not like this. Not with this heat between them. It was enough to make her lightheaded.

"You've never made a move or looked like you were interested in me that way." He shook his head. "Damn it woman. You can't just throw something on me like that and expect me to jump."

"Fine." She dropped her gaze to his lips and how they were slightly parted. And fine was right because he was right. She'd thrown it on him out of nowhere. They had been friends for a long time. He'd been Jason's, which was how they'd met. He'd been standing next to her, helping her bring in groceries when she walked in on Jason and Martha doing it doggie style on her new couch. Troy had stood by her side through the good and the bad while Jason fought her for every fork bowl and pan out of the kitchen. Seven years of friendship and suddenly she wanted to change things. He had a point. "So we're at a 'you'll think about it and let me know' pass?"

He straightened and swiped a hand down his face as he loosed his cage like hold on her. "I suppose. And you need to think more on it, too. We take that step; things will never be the same."

"They-"

He lifted her chin. "Will never be the same."

Gabriella nodded her mouth suddenly dry as she watched him push off the wall and take a few steps back, Blue who had been sitting patiently at their side stood up and came to the door as Gabriella opened it. She didn't have to look back to know Troy was still was watching as she and Blue made her way inside. And it wasn't until the door was shut behind her that she leaned against it and slid down to the floor in fear, anxiety, excitement and nausea all at once. She'd made it pass the hard part.


	2. Chapter 2

Troy crossed the living room into the kitchen and jerked open the fridge. Cool air blasted his hot body, and he grabbed a chilled bottle of beer. Not for drinking, yet. This bottle was to put on his neck. The sweat on the glass no doubt sizzled to steam at the touch of his flaming hot skin.

Sex with Gabriella.

Jesus.

He twisted off the cap and drank, pulling hard at the beer and chugged until nothing was left. He sat the empty bottle down. It clanked hard on the countertop, and sound should have served as a final no. Instead it rang out more like a pistol firing off the start of the race. The finish line being his roommate's bedroom doorway. He stood there for a long moment, waiting for the drink to ease through his blood and for the buzz to pull him from the edge.

Sex with Gabriella. Sex with Jason's Gabriella. He closed his eyes. No. Not Jason's Gabriella. Not anymore.

Troy breathed and continued working at talking himself out of it. A few moments of fun. Catch a bit of ass and apparently, possibly, spank some of it too. Not how he wanted Gabriella Montez all these years. She was supposed to be a slow and torturous unwrapping. Hours spent learning each creamy caramel, soft inch of her skin. Time taken to see what set her off and what made her beg and ache for more.

He groaned and shook his head.

He refused to change what he wanted from her, no matter how easy it would be to give into her request. He wasn't her rebound or stepping stone to test the waters of the shallow end of the dating pool. No matter how tempting she was, he wouldn't give in and be used. He was a man with a few morals and ethics, or whatever people called them.

Bottom line the possibility of forever was the only way he'd take Gabriella.

He squeezed the counter but the smooth edges did nothing to hold him there. Everything he wanted to taste and touch waited for him upstairs. Beautiful, smart, sweet, luscious, and hopefully one day his Gabriella. Just not yet, she needed time to get over the divorce.

He needed to go clean up the yard, needed to pick up trash and straighten up the house. Get his mind off what was currently going on. Keep his mind as far away from the wham-bam-thank-you-ma'am quickie with sweating and slapping bodies. His balls pulled in tight and his cock twitched at the thought of her damp and plaster hair against her neck. Her pouty lips would be parted and her head thrown back. Her firm round boobs would bounce in his face and her hips would roll against his.

He'd seen her dance. He knew what she was capable of. Turning to a cabinet he reached for the trash bags and took one out. After opening it he dropped his empty beer bottle inside it.

After her divorce, she became a necessary crutch in his life as they figured things out together. She had discovered the callous ways of her husband, and he about a man he'd known since elementary school. It was her financial whiz of a brain that saved his garage after catching his former secretary robbing him blind. What he was to Gabriella at the beginning, he couldn't say, other than that guy who got things on the high shelf.

Moving outside he began collecting more bottles. It was four days after walking in on Jason and Martha that Gabriella showed up on his door step with Blue and a bag. She was different that night like everything about her had been crushed and she told him that Jason had asked her for a divorced. She had nowhere to go, no family around for miles. So he did what a friend would, he spent the weekend moving his weights into the basement and repainting the room next to his. Within a week she was moved in.

Somewhere between his bills and her moving boxes, watching a handful of games on TV in the evenings entered the picture a couple of times. Then there was pizza or popcorn. Maybe both. It happened slowly. She went from being in her room morning, noon, and night to coming down for dinner, then coming down for breakfast and dinner, finally after four months she was somewhat happy again. She came to work regularly, they shared a meal every night, sometimes he'd cook sometimes she would. It just seemed to work out.

She might believe they could remain causal an unattached. He knew better. He was already attached. They were friends after all and her divorce had only been final for three months despite however long she'd been living there. This request was nothing but making him her rebound. He'd do anything Gabriella asked, but not that. Not the rebound fuck. He had to figure out away to get himself out of this.

The next afternoon, Gabriella stared up at the ceiling as she listened to Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood reminded each other about a love they once shared long ago. A notepad rested on her chest as she did her best at balancing a pen on her nose. "He longingly watched her as she open a jar of pickles… heaven forbid he help her," she murmured as she rolled her eyes and flinched as the pen rolled off to the side.

Pushing herself up she propped herself up on her elbows, "Why is this so hard? Surely there was a reason I liked the asshole. I married him didn't I?"

Blue's head propped up and he groaned but didn't move from his position on top of her feet.

"Blue if I don't come up with a way to fix this story you're going to have to go back to the Old Yeller stuff and not the Kibble and Bits you fancy so much." Just then there was a knock on the door and Gabriella leaned over and paused the music on her iPod, "Come in."

Troy poked his head in, "You decent? Sober?"

"Yeah."

"Alright," he said opening the door a little wider, his eyes looked around her room taking in all the post its on her walls and the notepad in her hands. "What are you doing?"

"Writing an ad for the garage for the paper," Gabriella said slowly, "What are you doing?"

"Making sure you're alive. It almost noon, you haven't eaten."

Gabriella let out a sigh, she hated lying to him about her writing but the idea of him knowing that she wrote was mortifying. When she was honest with herself, bestsellers list or not she wrote trashy romance novels that entertained housewives across America. A guilty pleasure, yes. Something she'd proudly admit? No. It's not like she wrote great American novels that held any literary value, people picked up her books when they did their groceries for crying out loud.

Her fans loved them, her fans proclaimed that her books had changed their lives and given them hope and inspiration for love and life. If only they could see her now. Oh what a fraud she was. She knew nothing about romance, nothing about love, nothing about sexual exploration and true satisfaction, not that sex with Jason hadn't been satisfying; it had been alright, for what it was.

"You haven't given any thought to my proposal have you?" she asked looking up at him.

Troy's mouth fell open a little, "You're kidding?"

Gabriella looked down at her blank note pad. Maybe she was losing her mind, maybe the pressure of this book was killing all her brain cells and leaving her with just a libido. Looking back up she caught the flex in his arm as he lifted it to rub the back of his neck. The muscle there seemed to almost be busting at the seam of his t-shirt. Her mind spiraled into images of skin on skin.

"No, I'm very serious," she said closing her mouth to stop drool from escaping. Honestly this silly little infatuation was getting ridiculous. She known him for seven years what was the difference from then till now.

Troy frowned as he looked around her room and then back at her. "Does this have anything to do with the doctor's appointment yesterday?"

"No," Gabriella said with light shrug as she leaned forward to rub Blue behind the ear and avoid his glaze.

"Would you even tell me if it was?"

He knew. The jig was up and she'd been caught. Doing what exactly she didn't know yet. "Troy?" Gabriella let out a breath as she placed her notepad and pen on her night stand shifting so she could pull her feet out from under Blue much to his dismay. "Grow up, it's not like I asked you to give me your kidney," she said pushing herself up from the bed. "It's just an orgasm," she said walking past him and into the hall.

Troy's brow lifted significantly as he looked back at Blue who was coming down from the bed with a stretch and groan. "Can you believe this?" he said in a low voice as Blue sat down and looked up at him with nod. Troy reached out and gave Blue a well-earned scratch behind the ear.

Once his needs of attention were met, Blue walked past him devotedly following his owner down the hall. Troy let out a breath and shut the door as he followed both of them down the stairs.

"Gabs, maybe we just need to slow down here."

"Slow down?" Gabriella made her way into the kitchen and walked over to the fridge, "You haven't even touched me."

"I know, but-"

"But what?" Gabriella said pulling out the gallon of milk and shrugging her shoulders.

"What you're asking for is a little out there Gabs," Troy said reaching into the cabinet for a box of cereal and handing it to her. "I think if you want to do this we're gonna need to set some ground rules?"

"Ground rules?" Gabriella took the box from him and placed it on the counter top turning around to get a bowl from the clean side of the sink, "Like what? Do I have to cut my hair or something?"

Troy let out a chuckle, "What? No." He liked her long hair, he fantasized about it in his hands, thought about it falling slowly down her back or hanging in those little ringlets around her face after she took a shower. "First rule, no haircuts." Troy opened a drawer and took out two spoons.

"Alright," Gabriella smirked as she opened the box and began to pour the cereal into the bowl, "I think I can manage that one." Could he actually be proposing what she'd hoped for? Comfortable, compatible, no-strings attached sex without a messy relationship?

Troy uncapped the milk and began to pour, "Second rule, five dates."

"What?" Gabriella jerked back as she placed both her hands on the counter top, "I don't want to date you."

"Then call it what you want, but despite your belief, I am not a man-whore and refuse to be treated as such. If we're going to do this I call the shots," Troy said placing a hand on his chest. "No sex until then. If we can make it through five "whatevers" then maybe…"

"No." Gabriella shook her head, "Maybe?! I don't want whatever all I want-"

Troy held out a spoon cutting her off, "I know what you want, but I think we need to be sure you know what you want. We don't really know each other like that. We're going to have to tread lightly. Make sure we're both on the same page."

"Oh yeah," she said with raised brow, "What page is that?"

"Whatever you want this page to be," Troy with a long sigh.

"How about the page that repeats as often as we like, without strings?"

"There's always going to be strings," Troy shifted his weight, "This just sex thing, It never works, Gabs. You're a girl. Sex always means more to you even if you don't admit it."

"But this is different."

"Really," Troy said with a frown, "Do you suddenly have a penis where you're vagina was?"

Gabriella took a moment to think about it, then narrowed her eyes."Nope, no penis."

"Then it's no different."

Gabriella pouted as she took the spoon and leaned down so her forearms were laid flat on the table as she poked her butt out behind her, "I think your wrong about that, we know each other plenty."

Troy leaned down as well dipping his own spoon into the same bowl, "Sex is different Gabs. Beside what if I told you I wanted more?"

Gabriella rolled her eyes as she dipped her spoon into the bowl and brought her spoon to her lips. _More?_ Troy wasn't a relationship kind of guy. As a sex buddy, through, he'd be the perfect man for the job. A known commitment-phoebe, known player, she'd be guaranteed hot sex with no-strings. And because they were friends, she wouldn't have to worry about him treating her like crap. "We go to movies and eat together all the time, honestly what makes this bowl of cereal any different."

"Foreplay," he said off handedly.

"You need five dates for foreplay?"

"I need five minutes, you're going to need five dates."

"How are you so sure I'm not ready to go right here, right now on this table?" she said standing up straight and staring at him dead on.

"Gabriella, I'm not the greatest catch." Troy leaned forward scooping up a spoonful of cereal and shoveling it into his mouth. Once he swallowed he continued, "I'm sure you've heard how I am…was with women."

She shook her head. "What you do and whoever you do it with isn't any of my business."

"That's what I like about you. You're always ready to accept people for who they are. I'm no saint. And I know I've ah… been with a lot of women." He took one of her hands in his, "What I'm trying to say is I want to try date you… exclusively."

He might as well have poured ice water down her back. She hadn't expected him to say anything that hinted at dating. Sex, hell yeah. But dating? Exclusively? No way. She didn't want to date. Dating led to emotions she didn't have time for. It also led to heartbreak. Something she wouldn't allow, especially after the way her last relationship ended. She cleared her throat and attempted to pull her hand from his, but he held firm.

"I'm just asking for five dates."

Aliens must have taken control of Troy's mind. Never in a million years would she have expected this notorious commitment-phobe to want to date her exclusively. "This is crazy."

"Crazier than you asking me for sex?" So she wanted no-strings sex. No emotional ties. And he offered her the opposite. Too bad.

Gabriella stared at him with an urge to argue and then let out a sigh, he was right. "Fine, what about the other stuff?"

"What other stuff?" Troy looked up at her.

Gabriella shrugged as she dipped her spoon into the bowl coming back into her leaning position.

"Gabs if you can't say it, we shouldn't even be talking about this."

Gabriella inwardly groaned, he was right. Again. "Kissing."

"You want to kiss?" Troy asked sounding a little interested.

"Well yeah," Gabriella murmured looking up at him and lifting her spoon to her lips, "kissing is nice, I use to like it. Not really a fan of tongue but I'd try it. I mean, I'm not going to lie I'm not sure I understand the sudden urge to prove you can be in a relationship without sex when I'm bluntly offering you sex without one but to each his own five dates and I get what I want."

Troy watched as the spoon disappeared between her lips and watched as she slowly pulled it out. He wasn't sure if she did it on purpose. Didn't know if he should acknowledge it. What he did know was he was suddenly at a loss for they were talking about. "Yea,"

"But that wouldn't be much different from what we already have. We'd simply be friends who don't have sex with each other, let alone anyone else."

He frowned.

"Intimacy and affection are important in a relationship and while I understand what you're getting at I need to have a certain level of affection," she said with a grin, "and we can have that you know … without sex."

"How?"

"Kissing," she grinned. "I mean if you have a Julia Roberts thing about it, I get it."

Troy snapped out of his current fog, "No. I mean we can, I mean its fine on the lips," Troy winced as he looked at the cereal bowl. "Kissing is good."

"Kissing is _very_ good." She was beginning to like how the conversation was turning out after all. Hell she liked Troy a lot. She trusted him, not necessarily with her heart, but with her body. She wanted to be with him. Yes for sex, but also because she loved the respect he showed her.

Although she did miss sex, she'd missed kissing and cuddling even more. Sex was nice, but if she didn't own a vibrator, she would never have known what it was that made your eyes roll back and your body surge with ecstasy. Now that she really thought about it, she'd very much like to take Troy up on his exclusive dating, no sex relationship. It sounded safe and fun, and besides he'd agreed to kissing, but he never specified exactly where those kisses could be placed. And she could think of a few provocative places she'd love to kiss Troy. After that, he probably wouldn't last more than a week with his no-sex, kissing-only rule. She'd have her sex buddy and still be able to remain emotionally detached. "Do we have to wait?"

"Does it have to be right this second?" Troy countered standing up right.

Gabriella shrugged "You're the one making the ground rules?" she said pointedly.

"For the well-being and protection of our relationship."

"Rule three, no more relationship talk."

Troy raised a brow, "You really just want a fling don't you?"

"Yes," she said quietly, "I think I've had it up to here with emotional men and their backstabbing bullshit."

Troy watched her carefully, "Why not go the bar and pick up someone?"

"In a town with a population of 764 do you really think my odds of finding someone, who I won't ever see again, is of high value?" Gabriella let out a sigh as she lifted another spoonful of cereal, "I have better odds of coming across who's ever underwear I found in the dryer last week."

"Sorry about that," Troy muttered as he reached into the bowl for another spoonful. "So are you expecting to move out or something? I mean unless you have other arrangements for a place to live, work, and mooch then wouldn't I be a big fat shit on your plan of animosity?"

"No. Because there's no one on the planet I trust more than I trust you, you're an overall good guy, you love Blue and look great without a shirt," she listed causally.

"Seriously?" he added with disbelief.

Gabriella looked up at him, "this is really weird." Gabriella tossed her spoon into the sink with a loud clink.

"How so?"

"I feel like we should sign a contract," she said wiping her hands on her shorts.

"You're right. This isn't my most romantic moment." He sent her a sexy smile that had her toes curling. "To be honest you really didn't give me much of a choice."

"To be honest if I had you would have chickened out," she said as she made her way out of the kitchen.

"Cute. You got jokes," he called after her as he watched her race back up the stairs to her bedroom. Troy looked down at the bowl of milk in front of him. "Why does she always leave the milk?"

As if to answer him Blue let out a sigh as he shifted his shout from one paw to the other, his brown eyes looking up at Troy with adoration.

Shaking his head he went about putting the milk back in the fridge and cereal back in the cabinet. If he was going get his shot at forever with Gabriella he was going to have to do some fancy footwork and quick. Her mind was set. And he been around long enough to know what when she set her mind to something she was going to see to it that she made it happen. He just needed to set her off balance, pull the rug out from under her slowly enough so she wouldn't notice it was happening. He had to find some way to make Gabriella fall in love with him and he had to do it in five "Whatever's."

A few moment later when Troy had finished drinking the milk from the bowl in his usual spot by the sink the sound of Gabriella footsteps came bounding down the stairs and both he and Blue looked up.

"I'm meeting up with Sharpay," Gabriella said filling the kitchen with the smells of perfume. Troy watched her quietly as she ran from one end of the kitchen for keys to the other end for her wallet and back again for Blue's on the go dish.

With each passing he watched her white tang top bounce around over the swell of her breast, her tight blue jeans shorts with the ripped pocket shift against her behind and those stubborn little strands that weren't long enough to stay in her ponytail ban whip back and forth. On the fourth time he reached out and hauled her into his chest, his mouth on hers before his arms were around her.

The kiss was urgent. Physical. All-encompassing.

His hands clenched her to him and for the first time ever it felt just like how she wrote about it. Her toes even curled. He lifted her from her butt and without thought; she anchored her legs around his hips and grabbed his hair.

Whirling around he set he down on the kitchen counter, careful not to slam her or lean on her to hard. Then the only thing she was aware of was the insistent ridge of his hard-on against the inside of her left leg. It felt good. She wanted to feel more, with less layers of clothing.

His hands were on her hips playing with the hem of her shirt teasing the small veiled of skin there as he touched it with the pads of his thumbs. Then she realized her phone was ringing, the nuclear alarm ring tone she'd given Michael. Her latest book had just hit the shelves last week and promotional offers still needed to be approved. The call went to voicemail. He wasn't going to be happy about that.

Pulling back she broke the kiss. Panting, she looked around the kitchen as if seeing it for the first time, "Wow."

Troy let out small breaths as he tried to catch his own breath, he didn't intend on taking the kiss that far. If it hadn't been for her cell phone he wasn't really sure how far he would have taken it. But it was surprisingly easy to get lost in her. She was as sweet as melting ice cream on a hot summer day, and tasted even better. He wanted to lick her up, taste every inch of her until he knew every intimate spot like the back of his hand. He was going to have his work cut out for him if he wanted to make this work; he was going to have to keep his distance.

Doing exactly the opposite Troy reached out and took her hands helping her down off the counter and allowing her to slide against him for support.

"Thanks," she said quietly looking up at him. Without warning she stood on her toes and kissed him one last time to make sure the first time wasn't a fluke.

It wasn't. At all. His lips were just as warm and soft, even better than the first time because she was expecting it and now the tingles were spreading through her like wildfire.

Sex was going to be so good.

Sighing, she smiled up at him, "We'll do that more next time."

"No we won't," Troy said with a small frown, "Gotta pace ourselves."

"I run fast," Gabriella said moving away from him as she walked backwards. "Unless you're scared?"

"I'm not scared," Troy glared at her. "We're not going to rush this."

"Of course not, I'll see you for dinner tonight," she said motioning for Blue to follow.

"No you won't."

"It's a date."

"No it's not."

"Think of me today Troy, I'll definitely be thinking of you, and I can tell you, you won't be wearing anything more than my naked body," she called back to him as she and blue walked out the front door.

Troy gripped the counter top letting out a string of curses as he fought his inner self to stay put and not chase after her. He thought hard about their kiss. He even tried harder not to think about the fact that he could be out the door and sweep her up and over his shoulders in a minute, run her up the stairs and have her naked and in his bed in under two. The harder he thought, the harder he became.

"Damn," he muttered. "What the hell did I get myself into?"


	3. Chapter 3

Gabriella and Blue sat outside in the heat by her truck as they waited for Sharpay outside. Sharpay worked in a small café in town as a barista, she was a dedicated employee and the best customer service money could find. Always smiling, always chipper, always pinning away after the boss. Sharpay had a crush on her boss for two years and after a tiny late night instance where Zeke drove her home after work she was determined that she'd found the father of her unborn children.

The romantic in Gabriella sighed. Zeke and Sharpay would be a fairy tale come to life. Sharpay had been harboring this secret crush for a long time and Zeke while he pretended to be professional always did seem a little flushed whenever she turned on the charm. However the recent cynic in Gabriella pouted. She couldn't find fault with them as a couple, and that was discouraging on a personal level.

"What's wrong with you?" Sharpay said coming out onto the sidewalk with a dish full of water for Blue. "You're usually disgustingly bright eyed, but you look like someone burst your balloon."

"Burst my bubble," Gabriella corrected. "I'm just having a really hard time writing. I need a break."

Gasping in alarm, Sharpay walked right up to her and put her hand on Gabriella's forehead. "When do you ever have a hard time writing? Do you have a fever?"

"Not unless being hot and bothered is a virus," Gabriella squinted as she looked down at Blue who was still gulping down as much water as he could.

"What did Troy say about your idea?"

"Surprisingly I think he's for it," Gabriella said with a shrug, "He wants to go on five bullshit dates before we do anything. I think he just wants to be sure my minds made up."

"And is it?"

Gabriella let out a sigh as she thought about that kiss and all the bits of her body that was still turning and tingling. "I just feel like I need to wake up, I keep doing the same shit all the time and it's driving me crazy."

"Well, then we gotta head on over to Taylor's."

"What for?"

"Lingerie. Whatever going on between you two, you gotta be ready."

Gabriella dug her heels in as Sharpay tried to drag her down the street. "No, I don't."

"You really do. You're a romance writer. You're supposed to be into that sort of frippery."

"Frippery?"

"You know, romance. Lacy things." Sharpay waved her hand dismissively as she checked her watch, "Come on I only have an hour lunch."

Gabriella wasn't sure she needed lacy things, but she could definitely use a little romance to inspire her though this rough spot in her book. However she didn't need romance with her best friend. This was supposed to be strictly fun only.

But the kiss…

Sighing she let Sharpay drag her to Taylor's Closet, their friend Taylor's lingerie store down the street. Blue followed stopping as soon as they walked into the store, "You be a good boy now," Gabriella called out as she blew him a kiss.

"Honestly you treat that dog like he's your boyfriend," Sharpay said placing her hands on her hips.

Gabriella shrugged, "You know the old saying the more boys I meet, the more I like my dog."

"Well, well, well what do we have here?" Taylor greeted them with a smile as she came out from a back room with a box filled with frilly light blue lace.

"We need some stuff meant for seducing. I mean so hot that the hens are laying hard-boiled eggs."

"Oh my god," Gabriella frowned as she looked at back out towards the front were Blue laid on the sidewalk snoozing away.

"Seducing?" Taylor teased, "Who the lucky guy?"

"Wait till you get a load of this one?" Sharpay said jumping up onto the counter and beginning to go through the box Taylor just brought out, "Go on Gabs, tell her all about your kinky new lifestyle."

Gabriella crossed her arms as she placed a hand on her hip and shook her head, "It's just sex," Gabriella said as she looked at set of crotch-less orange underwear. "I don't see what the big deal is, Troy sleeps around anyway."

"You and Troy are dating." Taylor announced

"We're not dating," Gabriella said turning around to face her.

"Yeah," Sharpay laughed, "she just asked him for sex."

"So you're just sleeping with him," Taylor eyebrow's rose as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"Well not yet," Gabriella said plucking the panties off the rack and holding them up to her waist.

"Girl you're giving me whiplash, what's going on?" Taylor said walking over to another rack and picking up a red garter set, "try these."

Gabriella looked at the bright red color in her hands and small blush came over her cheeks. "Well, I asked him for a strictly sexual encounter and he agreed, under a few conditions," Gabriella said walking over to a mirror to try and envision herself in such wicked attire.

"Sounds hot," Taylor murmured as she walked over to a fitting room and unlocked it, "What are these conditions?"

Gabriella let out a breath as she made her way into the fitting room, "Well he doesn't want to have any sex until we go on five dates."

"So you are dating," Taylor said matter of fact.

"Not quite." Gabriella quickly disrobed as she began trying on the new lingerie. After her marriage had gone up in flames she'd torched all of her lingerie with it as well. There was no point in holding onto any of it. Obviously none of it was doing its job.

"They're going to have sex after date number five," Sharpay explained, "Troy just wants to be sure that she wants this and that she's okay with it."

"Oh," Taylor said a little unsure, "and you're okay with that?"

"It's five stupid little dates," Gabriella said as she brought the bra straps over her shoulders, "How hard can it be, I sit through five dinners and movie and then I get exactly what I want. Not to mention even sooner if I cheat a little."

"Cheat?" both girls said in unison.

Gabriella came out of the fitting room wrapped up in the blood red lace panty and bra, "There is nothing that says I can't hurry him along," she said placing her hands on her hips.

"Amen," Sharpay said titling her head a little as she appreciated the view, "Do you have that in pink?"

"You don't like the red?" Taylor said looking back at her.

"No I love it, but I want mine in pink."

Taylor rolled her eyes, "Right, what was I thinking?" Taylor sighed as she walked back over to the rack. "Gabriella I think I have one in green that will really make your skin color pop."

"I'll take it, in fact I'm gonna need five different sets," Gabriella said turning to look at her refection in the mirror, "He's not gonna know what hit him."

"Hey" Sharpay said jumping down from the counter and coming over closer to Gabriella, "Maybe he's you're inspiration?"

"You don't know the half of it," Gabriella said with a frown. She needed to get some ideas and quick, especially before Michael called again. She thought about what she had written today and winced. It was crap. Everything she'd written in past month had been pure crap. She hated letting Jason affect her this way but he'd derailed her. Who was she kidding? She was hurt. She was taking all her anger out on her current hero. After all why shouldn't she? The bastard up and left her. He cheated on her with one of her best friends and then asked for a divorce. What was she supposed to feel? Liberated?

New flash, being almost thirty and divorced didn't leave you feeling liberated. It left you feeling old and alone.

"Having second thoughts?" Sharpay asked quietly.

Gabriella blinked catching her own miserable reflection in the mirror, "No," she said with a sigh, "Just need some good old fashion chocolate and wine."

"Good idea," Sharpay said as Taylor brought in an armful of lingerie.

Later that evening Troy lifted himself up onto the barstool at Chad's, his elbows resting on the bar top as he pulled a small bowl of pretzels over to him. He glanced over at the door and watched as a young couple came in holding hands and made their way to back booth.

"Didn't think I'd be seeing you here tonight," Chad said as he walked over to where Troy was sitting and offered a beer from the cooler.

"Yeah," Troy said with a sigh, "Trust me, I'd rather be sitting at home drinking my own beer," Troy watched as Chad popped the top of the beer bottle and then nodded appreciatively as he took it, "Unfortunately I'm hiding out."

Chad frowned, "What's up?"

"Nothing a little space, time and a cold shower won't fix," he chuckled bringing the beer up to his lips.

That sounds like lady trouble," Chad said placing his palms flat on the table, "More specifically like a Montez problem."

Troy nodded as he put the beer down on the bar top, "She has this stupid idea in her head that we can be fuck buddies."

Chad let out a laugh as he tossed a rag over his shoulder, "Sounds to me like a sweet deal. Isn't that the opening you've been waiting for?"

"Yes and no," Troy grabbed a few pretzels and shrugged his shoulders; "You know how I feel about her. Fat chance I'm going to settle for being the rebound after waiting all this time out of respect of her and Jason's marriage."

"The divorce was just finalized wasn't it?" Chad asked with furrowed brow.

"Damn right it was."

Another patron took a seat at the bar and Chad disappeared for a moment to tend to him while Troy looked up at the television screen playing the latest game then back at the door. He couldn't hide out at the bar forever but for now it was start. It was a place to be, an ice cold beer and he had the game to watch. What more could he need?

His eyes wondered back to the door, he chewed on another pretzel as he watched another couple come in. Chad's wasn't the only sports bar in town, it just happened to be the only one with television screens and a dance floor. He wouldn't even pretend to imagine all the hard work his friend put into this place day in and day out but it was his own little slice of paradise.

It seemed like just a few days ago that they sat in the back booth going over the plans and naming different types of burgers. But here they were 9 years in and Chad's Bar and Grill was one of the main attractions in town.

His auto garage was nothing compared to this, hell he'd been about to shut down business until Gabriella came along and fixed his books. He wasn't exactly a wealthy man but he did well for himself and he could afford to pay Gabriella an honest salary. Looking back at the game he let out a sigh, this entire situation made him nervous. He couldn't afford to lose Gabriella at the garage if this little experiment of hers went south.

"Maybe you need something stronger?" Chad suggested coming over again and hanging the rag over his shoulder.

"Nope," Troy said lifting a finger to tap his temple, "Got to stay in the right mind set."

"Oh yeah?" Chad asked bending down and resting his elbows on the bar top, "What mind set is that? Miserable."

Troy felt a tug at the corner of his lips, "How are things with you?"

Chad stood up straight and let out a sigh, "It's been alright, Taylor been trying to get me to hire another bar tender. She says I'm not around enough."

Taylor was Chad's girlfriend of two years, who worked a little further in town at a lingerie store, the only one in town, matter of fact. There had been a great argument and group of citizens that had wanted the place shut down. Taylor's Closet used to be considered a sinful place that was covered in vandalism on a daily bases. Town's people had tried damn hard to scare her out of town but Taylor wasn't having any of it. She simply brought a bucket of paint to cover the graffiti and went about setting up her shop.

Sure now, four years later she was considered a sweetheart and everyone loved her. Damn, the woman was solely responsible for half the children running amuck, and all those marriages that would have fell to the waste side had she not been there to help housewives spice things up a bit. Chad although he didn't know it was on a fast track to becoming married himself.

Troy knew the signs, he'd been living in this town all his life and had been watching everyone around him fall in love and get hitched. He saw things coming a mile away. All expect for Jason and Gabriella. His eyes went back to the door again. He hadn't seen that one coming; then again he hadn't wanted to see it coming. He remembered it like it was yesterday sitting in that booth over there by the jukebox.

They were giggling and smiling all night, like they had a big secret they were busting at the seams to get off their chest. He'd been convinced that Jason had come into some money of some kind by the way he'd been acting that night. But right there while the appetizer sat on the table Gabriella's hand shot up from underneath the table to reveal a shiny little ring.

His stomach still did several flips just thinking about it. Remembering what it was like to force that stupid grin on his face. To congratulate them and make every effort to sound like he meant it. To pretend like everything inside him hadn't just shattered into a million pieces. He'd never forget that happiness on her face, that joy, content, and peace that rested over her features with unconditional love and acceptance.

He'd also never forget the hurt he'd seen there too. The hurt he never wanted to see there again. The hurt he move hell or high water to avoid being the cause of. No doubt about it he had his suspicions about Jason a few times. He'd seen him talking to Martha a little closer than necessary, seen him guide her threw a room with his hand on the small of her back once or twice. But he hadn't said anything, hadn't wanted to believe that this man who been lucky enough to have this woman pick him above everyone else, would be so stupid.

Then he'd been helping Gabriella that afternoon, at first he'd just been trying his best to stay in the car until she was inside. She was wearing one of those blue jeans shorts and a thin little spaghetti strap top. Her hair piled high in one of those pony tails she loved so much. The second he pulled up he sent up a slur of prayer for forgiveness because he'd been thinking bad things about his best friend's wife. He'd been thinking about that strap on her shoulder slipping as she reached into the truck. Watching her with those same loyal and attentive eyes Blue had as he sat there on the pavement waiting patiently for her to finish.

That dog was the best dog he'd ever met. Blue was a golden retriever and true to the breed he had an instinctive love of water, was easy to train and a beautiful golden coat. Troy loved that dog and at the same time he'd never been so jealous of a damn animal in his life. But that dog followed her everywhere. He slept at the foot of her bed, rode in her truck and laid out in the backyard while she did her yard work. Blue was one of a kind: smart, loyal, funny, playful, and one lucky son of bitch.

Then that damn brown paper bag broke and bacon went sailing down the driveway with a bunch of potatoes and cans. Troy murmured a cuss word or two and knew he was going to have to get out and help. So he did coming up the drive he greeted her and Blue while collecting groceries as he went. He'll never forget the relief in her eyes that afternoon when he came up the drive. She looked like she'd been about ready to kiss him.

Of course everything changed the moment he walked in behind her and came face to face with the very same thing she saw that stopped her dead in her tracks. Her husband of three years and one of her best friends going at it right over the very couches Troy had helped Jason move in three or four months prior. He wasn't sure what the hell happened in-between seeing that look of utter horror on her face and his fist making contact with Jason's jaw.

But three years of pent up resentment sure as hell came in handy that afternoon.

"So you're planning on hiring someone else?"

Chad let out a sigh, "I guess I have too. It's either that or I get her a puppy."

Troy let out low huff as he picked up his beer, "You're such a goner."

This time Chad let out a huff, "Looks who's talking fuck buddy."


	4. Chapter 4

Tomorrow was Monday. A work day. She'd be in the office of his tiny garage with him only steps away. His arms would be streaked with grease. A rag would dangle from the back pocket of his worn jeans. Sweat would be gathered at his lower back as he worked. Somehow with all that going on and her desire for sex now out in the open she was supposed to have a clear head to be able to bill piston rods and lube jobs.

The sound of the front door opening downstairs made Gabriella jerked up from her key board. Blue's head pop up from his spot on the bed and within moments he was down on the ground taking off to welcome Troy home. Gabriella glanced over at the clock on her nightstand. It was almost midnight. She'd been staring at the same paragraph for the last twenty minutes not really sure about her characters Georgia and Jeff.

They just felt all wrong for each other. Like it was being forced, she could see her characters now shoving at each other wanting nothing to do with each other. The classic she loved him and he loved someone else scenario. It was frustrating and she was already so anxious about her current situation with Troy that she could barely focus.

While, she had originally thought that he hadn't seemed into it, looking back disinterest wasn't the impression that she got. He was thinking about it. He wanted to date her. It was a small step. Smaller than she would have liked. She had shaved after all, hoping for the full Monty with the possibility of an unfastening-buttons-while-kissing-up-the-stairs event.

She heard his steps coming up the stairs and he stopped as expected at her doorway, Blue walking in beside him. "You're still up."

"Couldn't sleep," Gabriella shrugged as she reached to close her laptop.

"Still working on the ad?"

Gabriella looked at the laptop and let out a small sigh. "Yeah," she lied, standing up to stretch.

"I'm going to shower and then hit the hay."

Gabriella smirked, "That an invitation?"

"No," he said reaching for her door knob, "Get some sleep."

Gabriella let out a small sigh of disappointment as she watched her bedroom door close. After a moment she heard the shower turn on and watched as Blue decided it was his duty to fall into a heap at the door, blocking off her exit even further.

"Who's side are you on?" she mumbled to him as she placed her hands on her hips. The day was over now. She'd attempted all she'd known to get her hands on Troy, and there was nothing more to do about it for the night.

Cheeks flaming hot, stomach somersaulting and her thighs twitching she sat down on the edge of her bed and lifted her shirt over head and tossed it behind her. It caught on the cracked open top drawer to her nightstand. She stretched to flick it off, but something else stopped her.

A small grin stole her lips. Perhaps it was time to turn the tables a little. Let him hear her for once. She'd never been too vocal, but just maybe she should change that. She pulled Old Reliable out of the drawer and clicked it on. The plastic hummed in her hand. It tickled her palm and brought a giggle to her lips.

He stepped out of the shower and toweled off, all the while thinking how much better this would be with Gabriella's tongue lapping him up or her soft hands covering him with soft strokes. Need hung tight to his harden cock and pulled at his balls. He was going to have to get a grip. That cold shower had done nothing. Crossing the hall with the towel hung around his waist he stopped to look at Gabriella's door.

Shaking his head he kept moving making his way to his room and shutting and locking the door behind him. Coming to his bed he laid down and stared up at the rotating fan. The blades whipped around. Air coated his dampened body, a chill soaked to his bones, but he was still burning up.

His hand strayed to his waist. The image of her damp lips around him entered his mind as clear as if she knelt before him in real life and taken him whole. He closed his eyes and let his hands wonder until his grip was firmed and tight. He stroked up his length and thought of Gabriella there. The heat in his grasp was her warm mouth pulling him deep. His hold was her sucking him tight.

His breath quickened, his pace jerked him hard. Release bunched low, built tight, and ready to explode as he stroked. Instead of the breeze from the fan, it was Gabriella's brown hair falling over his thighs, sweeping his belly, and slipping between his legs and touching his balls. His ass tightened, the vision getting so focused in his head, he could swear he heard her moan.

A husky, breathless chuckle whispered through the room and he stilled. That he did not dream. Another moan eased out. Or was he dreaming? It sounded so real. He sat up and stroked his other hand through his hair. She was making him crazy. Except- there it was again. A very pleasure-filled sigh.

He looked to their shared wall, wanting to believe it was her. He eased across the bed and placed his ear against the wall. A husky groan much like the others, only deeper, sounded out, and a wave of chills blanketed over his skin. His fingers curled against the sheetrock, wishing he could just reach through and have his hands on her.

A throaty purr seeped through, "Troy."

One harshly spoken word and he was flipped upside down and his pulse set to jackhammer. He wondered at how quick her breath had become. How pink her bronze skin glowed and glistened as she climbed closer to her climax. His hand was back around his cock. He stroked as the breaths he couldn't hear, but imagined, whispered between her lips and panted a rhythm. His name eased out of her again, this time louder, on a strangled cry.

He tightened his grip. Pressure built around his sack, drawing him in. Gabriella gasped. A muffled moan slid from her. Release rushed through him, so intense, so pleasure-filled, it numbed him he gripped his iron head board, catching his warm seed before it dripped on his bed. He rested his cheek against the wall and just breathed and listened.

Nothing could be heard from Gabriella and after several minutes, he eased down reached for an old sock to clean himself. After tossing it into the hamper he laid across his bed. He didn't cover up. His body was too hot. The sheets would have been too confining.

The next day Gabriella sat in the office as the industrial fan blew in the distance. Her hair was piled high on top of her head, she'd left the few buttons on her Troy's Auto shirt undone. This heat wave was ridiculous, sweat dripped down her neck and slid down her cleavage. She was almost positive her deodorant stopped working two hours ago.

Looking down at her feet Blue rested peacefully as a mini fan blew on him. He'd been in the same spot all day. Not interested in greeting the one or two customers that had come in or chewing on his rubber ducky. Gabriella slipped her flip flop off her foot and gently used her foot to rub Blue's belly. His tail began to wag and soon he was on his feet, his head resting on her lap.

"I know it's hot Babe," she said scratching behind his ear, "Soon we'll be at home in the air conditioning, how about we watch The Notebook?"

Blue groaned.

"Tired of that too?" Gabriella let out a sigh as she bent down and placed a kiss on his snout. "We need a story Blue, something the readers are going to love because I don't think Georgia and Jeff are going to be enough."

She sat up and looked at the computer screen. She was working on the excel sheet for the parts that needed to be order before Friday. Troy's notes as usual were a step above chicken scratch, but easily mistaken for someone in the third grade. His penmanship had always been hard to read but he refused to use computers. Gabriella let out a sigh as she minimized the screen and looked at what she had written so far.

_Georgia was watching Jeff chew his steak, his mouth occasionally smacking open, when she noticed the tall, dark cowboy across the room. He looked like a vigilante, a bad boy with a heart of gold and she caught herself looking to see if he hadn't had a white hat hidden somewhere, maybe a belt with a gun hoister. _

_Next to the cowboy, Jeff looked weak. Especially in the chin._

_Georgia looked back at Jeff forcing herself to feel something, anything, this was the man she was supposed to be in love with. Yet her eyes wondered back to the cowboy sitting at the dinner. She wondered what a man who looked like him would feel like against her body. How his callous hands would feel on her bare skin. What damage a man like that could do to her neat, careful little world. _

_She looked back at Jeff, completely unaware of her wondering mind. Lost in his description of his day at work, unknowing of her growing urge she had to smack him across that weak chin. Before she gave in to the urge, she excused herself and went to the restroom. _

_The cowboy was there, waiting for her._

_Her heart skipped a beat, and she caught herself sauntering over to him. _

"_Hey, girl," he drawled, reaching out to her as she approached. He speared his hand into her dark curls and brought her to him- brought her mouth directly to his._

_And Georgia knew she'd died and gone to heaven…_

Whimpering, Gabriella dropped her head onto the desk. She couldn't have Georgia make out with a mysterious cowboy with Jeff in the other room, even if Jeff was a jerk. Looking up at the florescent lighting up above as she rested her chin in her hand. Her problem was that she couldn't stop thinking about the kiss Troy had forced on her. She'd never admit it to anyone, especially not Troy, but that kiss had rocked her world.

The door opened and Troy came in covered in sweat, grease and smelling 100% like man mixed with motor oil. She let her hand fall as she watched him bring a sheet of paper to her from his clipboard, "The tractor for the Miller's is going to need a tie-rod hydraulic cylinder 3" packing seal kit 1.25" rod, make sure you bill him on the shipping he wants it sent over night so he can get back to work as soon as possible."

"Will do," she said taking the slip from him as she put it on top of the others, she'd have to get done today.

"You take lunch yet?" he asked placing the clipboard on the hook.

Gabriella closed her laptop, "Did you have something in mind?" She had a few things in mind, things that involved him losing that filthy blue Troy's Auto shirt and his work jeans, things that could happen right on this very desk.

"Could you maybe pick me up a sandwich from that deli you go to?" he said rubbing his stomach a little. "I got an engine to tune up and I don't think I'll make it out of the garage to get something."

"Oh," Gabriella said a little disappointed.

Troy raised a brow, "What?"

"Nothing," Gabriella slipped on her flip flop, she was in need of some fresh air anyway. "Come on Blue,"

"Did I say something?"

Gabriella reached for her keys and her wallet, "Troy, when are you gonna make a move?"

Troy jerked back a little confused, "Make what move?"

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but I assumed you were there when we kissed last time."

His gaze fell to her lips. "I was there."

She heard the desire in his voice and threw her hands up. "Then why are you determined not to get involved with me? We nearly went up in flames, and all we did was touch lips. Just think if we did more?"

"No," Troy said making his way to the door, "I will not think about that."

"Why the heck not?" she growled in frustration. "You said you were interested."

He'd been trying to forget that kiss, trying to keep that door locked tight and keep her out of his thoughts. No such luck, because he still saw her brown eyes, still felt her long legs wrapped around his waist, and still felt the way her mouth ate at his.

Like she was starving.

Troy turned at the door to face her, "I am interested."

"Then be interested," Gabriella said tossing her hands up.

Troy eyes narrowed as he watched her standing in front of him hyped up on her own little temper tantrum about his lack of interest. It'd taken him just about three hours this morning to be able to look her in eye after last night's little mutual voyage of pleasure fantasies. He could still hear her moaning, still hear his name spilling from her lips. Troy's eyes dropped down to her lips once more, the need to taste them was powerful.

"Have dinner with me tonight," he murmured.

"Dinner."

"Wear a dress," he added before pushing the door open and holding it for her.

Gabriella narrowed her glaze as she walked past him, "Where are we going?"

"Out."

"That's all I get?" Gabriella said with a raised brow, "How do I know what to do with my hair."

"Leave it down."

Gabriella couldn't fight the tiny smirk pulling at her lips, "want to pick out my underwear too?"

Troy let out a low growl of groan as he held onto the door tightly, "Brie."

Gabriella felt a jolt of excitement spark inside her, he very rarely called her by her nickname, when he did it had always been three seconds shy of him losing his temper. But this time he didn't look mad, he looked downright hungry and muttering of her name made her girly parts almost weep for joy.

Blue jumped into the truck before her taking the shot gun seat as she went up next. She could still see him watching her as she turned on the truck. She bit her lip nervously as shifted the truck into reverse, "Blue I think we might have a story here after all," she said looking over at him before turning around to reverse her car out. Blue barked in excitement as he stuck his head out the window.


	5. Chapter 5

The last time Gabriella had brought a dress she'd been buying it for Jason's mom and dad 45th anniversary party. Looking at the heart patterned flow skirt skater black dress now she was wondering what the hell she'd been thinking.

Gabriella Twirled as she held the dress against her body, "This isn't going to work," she said looking back at Blue. Gabriella placed the dress back in her closet and reached for another one. This one was a green summer dress she brought on clearance at Walmart. "Great, I own nothing sexy."

Blue let out deep sigh as he used his right paw to cover his eyes.

"Don't give me that tone," Gabriella scowled as she reached into her closet again, "you might not care but I'm trying to get laid."

Blue let out a groan.

Gabriella let out another sigh, "I guess this will just have to do," she said pulling out a white little dress covered in lace. "It's causal enough, with a touch of sexy." Gabriella held it up to herself as she looked at her reflection in the mirror. "Better be careful about bending over in this one, no telling what might fall out."

Once she was dressed and had brushed her hair out and down around her shoulders she sat at her laptop working on the scene from the restaurant. She had a half an hour to kill before Troy got home and she had a lot of work to do if she wanted to introduce this new character.

Tucker. Her cowboy. Georgia's cowboy.

Like a lightning bolt the problem hit her mid afternoon and suddenly she knew what she had to do. Georgia was settling when there was something better just there under her nose in the form of a stranger, someone new in town, someone who was different from Jeff, someone who was going to knock her right out of her cowgirl boots.

There was a knock on her door and she jerked as she turned in her chair, "Yes?"

The door pushed opened slightly and Troy poked his head in when his eyes landed on her he pushed the door open the rest of the way. "You just about ready?"

Gabriella turned to the clock and let out a gasp, she'd been typing for over an hour. "Oh my god, is that really the time."

"Sure is," Troy said with a small smirk.

Gabriella jumped out of her chair, "I am so sorry," she said moving quickly to where she laid out her brown cowboy boots. "Honestly, sometimes I think I'd lose my head if it weren't attached."

"Well, lucky for me it is," he murmured as he watched her rush to her vanity and apply a thin layer of lip gloss.

"I'm ready," she exclaimed coming towards the door, "I'm ready."

"I wasn't rushing," Troy chuckled as he looked back at Blue who was already following her out the door. "Sorry buddy, not tonight."

Blue stopped dead in his tracks looking up at Troy with confusion as he sat back on his hind legs.

"Don't worry I'll have her back before 10," he said patting him on the head before heading down the hall after Gabriella.

Blue followed them down the stairs and stopped on the last step in time to catch Gabriella's attention, "Oh, don't worry baby. Mommy will be right back. I promise," she bent down and kissed his snout. After a long and hearty scratch behind his ears she got back up and looked back at Troy who was patiently waiting by the door with it held open. "Still not gonna rush me?"

"Nope."

Gabriella walked past him catching the strong scent of his aftershave. He smelled clean, warm, and like old spice. "You clean up nice,"

"So do you," he said casting one last glance at Blue before shutting the door. He felt awful about leaving Blue behind but if his plans were going to work he was going to need Gabriella undivided attention. He'd bring Blue back a treat from the restaurant to make up for it.

Troy locked the door and quickly made his way around Gabriella till he was in front of her car door and pulling it open for her.

"I can get my own door," she said with a soft laugh.

"Nope."

Gabriella climbed up into his grey truck, it was much higher than hers, much more roomier and clean inside. Once she was settled inside he softly shut the door behind her. She quietly watched with a small smile as he came around the truck and opened his door to climb in.

"Am I allowed to know where we're going now?"

Troy let out a chuckle, shook his head and slipped the key into the ignition to bring the engine to life, "Just sit back and relax."

Gabriella let out a huff as she sat back in her seat watching the scenery past by as they made their way onto the highway. She leaned forwards and turned on the radio to the old country station he played in the garage. She never liked country music before, not until she moved into Payne Spring, Texas and worked in Troy's Auto Garage. It wasn't until she began working there did she begin actually liking some of the more contemporary artist.

They'd been driving for a while, clearly out of town, no longer surrounded by anything familiar. "Seems like a far way to go just for dinner?"

"Who says I'm just taking you to dinner?" he said flipping on his turning signal and getting off the highway.

"Where are we?" she said looking out the window trying to find anything familiar.

"Just a little bit out of town, some place a little more private and low key," he said pulling into a parking lot.

Gabriella looked at the all the lights shining off the building of the establishment called Pete's and through the open windows of the truck she could smell the food and hear the music coming from inside. "Troy Bolton, this is just sinister," she said turning back to him.

Troy turned off the car but before he was out and making his way to her door she was already jumping out and closing her own door behind her. He stopped in his tracks and watched as she raced to the doors her cowboy boots clicking along the pavement as she her hair seemed to flutter over her shoulders.

There were many things he'd come to love about this woman. Her excitement over the simplest things, her stubborn nature, and her natural beauty were just a few of those things. Jason was idiot. Over the years Troy had gotten to know her from a distance, as a friend, as someone who walked away when things got a little too intimate for his liking out of respect for her marriage and happiness. He was looking forward to taking a step closer to her, getting to know her as woman, in letting her see him as a man and not a friend or the rebound guy.

"Well?" Gabriella said poking her head back out from the door, "You comin or not?"

Troy tucked his car keys in his pocket and made his way to the door opening it a little wider for himself and making his way inside after her. The music was louder inside, he could barely hear himself over the murmur of the crowd. Placing his hand on the small of her back he guided her to the hostess who smiled at them.

"Two please," he said leaning in to be heard.

"Right, follow me please," the woman said as perky as ever as she lead them to a booth in the back past the dance floor.

Gabriella eyes opened wide as she took in the couples dancing on the dimly lit dance floor. This place felt so rustic and Texas. Brad Paisley sang over the speakers about little moments and Gabriella could smell the steak and almost taste the mash potatoes. However, the moment she felt Troy place his hand on the small of her back everything became muted. His hand was hot, heavy and stern as it gently pushed her along the side of the dance floor until they were at their booth.

"How did you find this place?"

"Someone ordered a tow three weeks ago," Troy said settling into the booth and watching the waitress set down their silverware. Once she was gone and they were alone again he turned his attention back to Gabriella and smiled warmly as she examined the menu.

"This place is expensive." She glanced up at him with concern.

"Its fine," he said with a raised brow, "get whatever you want."

"What are you getting?" she asked peeking over at his menu.

Troy glanced up at her again with a playful grin, "Gabriella, I mean it. Order whatever you want."

Gabriella pouted for a second as she looked down at her menu, "What if what you order is better than mine?" she said looking back up. "You know I don't do well with choices."

"Then I'll share," he offered.

Gabriella narrowed her glaze at him and then looked back down at the menu. "You know I'm pretty much a sure thing. You don't need to ply me with fine meals and dancing to get lucky," she said with a smirk. "In fact, if you're curious-"

"How was your day?" he said over her suggestive whisper and cutting her off.

Gabriella let out a small laugh and leaned back in her booth as she looked out onto the dance floor, "It was alright," she said turning back to him. This was almost a little awkward, being alone with him. It was ridiculous to feel that way seeing as how they lived together. Being alone with Troy was almost second nature to her.

"How's the advertisement going?" he asked reaching for his glass of water.

"Advertisement?" Gabriella said a little confused for a moment before sitting up a little straighter. "Well I have to contract the newspaper and I was thinking about placing ads in some of the nearby towns. I mean of course I'll get your approval before placing any ads though."

"I trust you," Troy nodded, he didn't know a thing about advertising. Ever since his granddad opened the garage there had just been a sign outside and an open sign on the window. They never needed anything more than that. His Granddad had always said if you treated people fairly with respect and kindness you'd never go out of business and here he was 86 years after his granddad opened up the garage still making an honest living.

"Isn't this weird?" Gabriella said with a shrug as she reached for her glass of water.

"It's your first date in 4 years, if it wasn't a little awkward that be awkward," Troy explained as he leaned back in his chair.

Gabriella almost cringed at the word, it was like she was cattle waiting in line for branding and he was a farmer with his sharp red hot T shaped iron. The room felt hotter, smaller even. Gabriella looked back down at the menu and reread the third item down for the fifth time. "Date," she muttered in a hidden disgust for the word, "Maybe we could call it something else?" she said tossing some of her hair back over her shoulder.

"Like?" Troy said placing his hands on the table.

"Dinner."

Troy chuckled to himself as he looked down at the menu, "Dinner it is."

Gabriella's eyes wondered out to the dance floor her mind running ramped with the details and ideas for Tucker and Georgia. Idea of them dancing out on that dance floor, holding each other close, chest to chest. Gabriella thought for a moment about the height difference between her and Troy. Wondered if Tucker should be as tall, if Tucker's eyes should be the same shade of blue.

"You folks ready to order?"

"Well," Troy said looking over at Gabriella, "Are you ready?"

What a loaded statement. Gabriella let out a deep breath as she looked down at the menu, "I'll have a 6oz strip medium rare and a side order of mash potatoes with steamed veggies."

"I'll have the same but make mine an 8oz well done. And let's get an order of wings to start and two beer bottles of Miller Light." Troy handed over his menu and glanced over at Gabriella with a smirk.

"You know me so well," she said handing her menu over.

Later in the evening Troy sat back watching as Gabriella worked her way through the last of her steak making sure she dipped it in her mash potatoes before pulling it up to her lips. They'd been munching on chicken wings before their meal came, she nearly eaten them all as she went on and on about Sharpay and Zeke. About how Sharpay didn't really need to work because of all her daddy's money but just because she had a crush on a guy she needed to have a job. She seemed relaxed. If not outright laughing, she at least smiled more than once.

"I can't believe I'm eating like this."

"Don't be too hard on yourself. I don't think they even serve salads here, unless they're topped with deep-fried chicken and a mountain of cheese."

One fine, delicate brow arched and she stared at him with quiet reproach, through a hint of a smile lurked on her beautiful mouth. "What are you suggesting, Troy? That I should only be eating salads?"

He backpedaled, holding up a quick, defensive hand. Damn, how could guys avoid these basic traps women always set out for them? "No way." Grinning, he added, "Just seems like the only things I've ever seen a woman order. God forbid, one of them should ever take a bite out of a hamburger."

"It's a female thing." She sighed heavily, as if accepting something that was inevitable. "Not just the instinct to watch what we eat, so we can look like what all the media images tell us we should look like. There's also a need to eat lightly in front of men, as if we need to assure them we're on top of things and will never gain weight."

"When secretly you're all dying for wings and steak dinners?"

She licked her lips, and then smacked them together before reaching for the last wing. "Yes. You ever watch a bride on their wedding night?"

"Why?" he asked sticking his fork in a small carrot and bringing it up to his lips.

"I speak from experience," she said waving the wing as if she was about to reveal a deep dark secret. "Watch the brides at the wedding receptions. She'd going to bite into that first piece of cake she's had since she decided he was _the one_, and will look like she's already had her first orgasm of the night."

He smiled as he thought about her statement. Then the orgasm part of it all kicked in and he coughed into his fist.

She didn't even seem to notice. "Which is why most new wives gain a few pounds in the first year of marriage, and that's not including the weight of the rock on their hand."

"So should I be flattered that you're on fifth wing?" Troy asked pointing at the wing she was working on, "You don't need to worry about impressing me?" He wondered what she'd say if she knew he was more impressed by her adorable honesty and the way she licked the tips of her fingers after each nibble.

"Exactly. Because this is not a legitimate date."

"Says you."

"Says me."

"What if it was?"

She snorted an inelegant laugh that sounded completely unlike her, but incredibly cute. "Then I would have asked for a bread stick and a glass of water."

He _knew_ this one. "With lemon!"

"Of course. Natural diuretic." She wagged her eyebrows. "You're good."

"Experience," he said timidly as he shrugged his shoulders.

"That's right, how I could forget the parade of women you take out on the town," she let out a laugh as she dropped a bone onto her plate. "I remember when you brought home that Redhead who spent the night in the bathroom puking out her insides, Blue had tried to comfort her and she screamed bloody murder."

Troy took a deep breath, so they weren't all home runs. To be honest he didn't date because he was trying to be some play boy that everyone clearly thought he was. He dated because he'd been spending her entire marriage trying to replace her. Trying to find someone who came close to even half the woman she was. Trying to feel even a small sense of pleasure he got from just looking at her. No one ever came close. No one was ever Gabriella.

"What if I wanted it to be?" he asked.

"Wanted it to be what?"

Knowing he was pushing it, but realizing he had an opening provided by the beer or two which had helped loosen her up, he plunged forward. "A real date."

She shook her head, lifting a carrot from her plate and dipping it into a tiny dish of blue cheese dressing. "Not an option."

Wow, talk about shooting a guy down without a moment's hesitation. But Troy didn't worry… the night was young. He had a few hours to change her mind. Besides he knew the game, he knew what was at risk. She'd soon find out that he didn't give up on something he wanted quite that easily. And he most definitely wanted her. More with every minute that passed.

He risked a quick, appreciative look across the table at her curvy figure, so incredibly sexy in her white summer dress and cowboy boots. "By the way, in my opinion you don't have a thing to worry about."

"Ha." Gabriella huffed, "I have huge breast, short legs, what my father liked to call my mother's 'childbearing hips' and a big backside."

As if any man would complain about single one of those things? Was she for real? "Honey from where I'm sitting, you are just about perfect."

"From where you're sitting, you can't see the extra fifteen pounds that couldn't be removed from my body by a plastic surgeon using an industrial Shop-Vac."

He barked a quick laugh. "You're not going to get an agreement form any man alive on that score. You are shaped exactly the way a woman should be shaped. And if you let some quack touch you I'll have to hunt him down and put a hurt on him."

Gabriella shook her head as she leaned back in the booth.

"You're a beautiful woman," he said firmly, not allowing her to argue it.

That appeared to shock her.

"Thank you, for coming tonight. I appreciate it."

"Don't thank me yet;" Gabriella said looking at the dance floor, "I haven't danced in so long, I'm not sure I remember how it's done."

"Oh I don't believe that for hot cake minute, I've seen you dance around the house with a broom."

"Well, when your partner doesn't have feet you tend to worry less about stepping on them," she teased.

"Come on," he said getting up from his seat.

"We certainly don't have to dance." She looked down at her cleavage, then back up at him. With his chiseled jaw and swarthy skin and dark sandy brown hair, what struck her most about Troy was that he was all man. A ridiculously good-looking man. "In fact, I'm afraid to raise my arms in this dress. I just thought we were going to dinner had I known we'd be dancing I would have worn something different."

"Why?" he said looking down at the straps that held it up.

"I don't want to fall out of my dress,"

He smiled and came down to her reaching her for hand and no longer giving her an option. "I promise to catch anything that falls out."

She laughed as she allowed him to pull her up, "You'd be my hero. Just like that?"

"It'd be tough, but I'd manage somehow."

They moved out onto the dance floor and walked into the middle of the crowded space. Beneath the low lights he took one of her hands in his hand placed his big palm in the curve of her waist. The band played a slowed song by Blake Sheldon about winning her over, and she slowly slid her hand up his chest, over the hard planes and ridges, to his shoulders. Everything in her dress stayed inside, and he pulled her close, close enough that she felt the heat of his big chest, but not so close that they touched.

"Troy?" she mumbled as she settled into the soft sway of their hips, "Why are you doing all this?"

He returned his gaze to her face and watched her mouth as she spoke, which, she had to admit, she found kind of sexy. "Just want you to be comfortable," he said quietly as his thumb brushed her waist through the lace fabric of the dress.

"You know I'm not doing this because he left," Gabriella said quietly.

He folded her hand against his chest and slid his free palm to the small of her back. While the band dug into another slow song by Trace Adkins about every light in the house turned on, the unexpected pleasure of Troy's touch spread tingling warmth up and down Gabriella's spine. He brought her a little closer and asked, "Who are you trying to convince? You or me?" his warm breath touched the shell of her right ear, and the crease of his khakis brushed her bare thigh.

Maybe it was beer or maybe the exhaustion of the day, but she settled into his chest. "Everyone these days." She'd had only a few beers, so it probably wasn't the beer. "Everyone thinks I'm this fragile little creature." And she wasn't all that tired. Certainly not tired enough to have to rest against his hard, muscular chest. She should take a step back. Yeah probably, but it felt good to be held in a pair of big arms against a big chest. His hand slid up her zipper, then back down spreading all the tingling heat across her skin.

He turned his face into her hair, "you smell good, Brie."

So did he, and she breathed him in like a tingly drug. "You only call me that when you're upset about something." She liked the way he smelled and felt against her and the way he made her heart pound in her chest, making her feel young and alive. With just a touch on her back, he did things to her body that she hadn't felt in a long time. Things she shouldn't be feeling now.

"Well," he said quietly, "Maybe I say it when I'm really happy too."

Gabriella slid her hand to the back of his neck and brushed his collar with her fingers. "You're happy?"

"Good food, good music, beautiful woman in my arms," he said causally, "Aren't you happy?"

Gabriella looked up at his blue eyes warmly looking down at her as her fingers tips brushed the nape of his neck against his hot skin. "I'd be happier if you kissed me."

Troy eyes fell to her lips, and his own lips pulled into a smile, "Is that right?"

"Well," Gabriella murmured as she watched him, "You gonna kiss me or not?"

Troy chuckled and brought his lips down to hers for a soft kiss. Chaste. Nothing too tempting that make him lose his mind. When he pulled back and saw the disappointment on her face he almost laughed, but he managed to keep his cool, "You ready to go?"

"Depends? Is the rest of that kiss waiting for us outside?"

"Damn it woman," he said tugging her closer to him with a teasing smile, "you're going to be death of me."


	6. Chapter 6

_**Author's Note: Hey Readers! I love you guys so much because you make all of this so easy for me to keep going. I want to let you guys know that I'm working on what looks like the last draft of my book. That said I have made a fan page for Punkpoet69 on Facebook and I would love it if you guys visited me there. Check out my profile page for the new link and please, please, please show a girl some love. **_

_**As always, love you guys!**_

(Story begins)

Sharpay stood in the kitchen lingering a little longer than normal as she watch Kelsi hang up her apron. "I'm not even sure what all the fuss was about," she said, referring to Taylor refusal to sell sex toys in the store. "I mean she has nickers and lace all over those walls, I'm just saying a girl would like a place to get a toy that ain't miles out, is all."

"There's always Amazon," Sharpay smirked. She should have been on her way home nearly an hour ago, but she offered to stay late and help clean up.

"I swear, every now and then I wonder what the hell happened to you," Kelsi murmured.

"Happened to me?" Sharpay's brow shot up, "I beg your pardon?"

"I remember back in the day when we use turn this town into a dust every weekend," Kelsi said with glaze over her eyes, as if she were being transported to the past as she spoke. "We had an awful lot of fun back then."

"Yeah," Sharpay said with a frown, "well, I rather have the memories." It was true what people said about her, she didn't need to work. She'd grown up a trust fund baby alongside her twin brother Ryan. It was also true about the trouble they say followed behind her. That was the thing about people in a small town, they always gossiped about something or another. If it wasn't about Troy's misbehaving or Jason and Gabriella's marital explosion it was about her family and their money.

Her daddy was a good man, a good father and a respectable member of the town council. Her momma died when she was little. She'd been seven years old and it had been right before the summer. Her mother suffered post postpartum depression after giving birth, folks say she wasn't herself. That she became a different person altogether, that she drove their daddy away, drove him into the arms of that other woman. Her mother had taken her own life.

It had been a Texas scandal like no other. Till this day people still talked about the Evans. They talked about Sharpay's tight clothes, her long string of bad boyfriends and that brief moment in college she'd experimented with her roommate Alexis.

Four years ago had been the worst of it. Her ex-boyfriend Doug had been bad news from the motorcycle he drove to the trailer he owned just outside Payne Springs. He was mean. It'd taken her daddy's shotgun to finally put some space between them. She always judge women who were in relationships with men who hurt them. Always thought it was ridiculous to even entertain the idea that a woman would just let a man continue to lay a hand on her. That a woman would love a man like that so much that she overlook that kind of pain. That she'd make excuses for someone like that.

Until, she found herself shopping for sunglasses big enough to hide the bruises on her own face.

"Suit yourself," Kelsi said with a shrug, "I rather raise hell and give the people something to talk about on Sunday morning." Kelsi grabbed her purse from the hook. "This getting married and settled down crap is for the birds, you see what happened to Gabriella. Be damned if I let a man do me like that."

"You know Jason couldn't find his butt with a flashlight in each hand."

"Bless his heart," Kelsi said with a laugh.

Sharpay glanced over at Zeke who was shaking his head has he dropped a pile of dough onto the countertop. His smile was soft and his eyes were warm and inviting. Everything about him made her feel different, different in a way that meant something.

Before she ran into Doug she'd been a different kind a girl. The kind of girl who wouldn't make excuses to stay late after work just so she could make small talk with a man. The kind of girl who might just walk up to a man like Zeke Baylor and suggest they get naked somewhere in a back room.

However, these days she was more on the cautious side. For a while she thought she might be on the "all washed up" list. Then she saw Zeke at the supermarket handing out flyers for his new business. Something about him made her insides as calm as a June bug. When he smiled at her, she felt the zingers all over and she just knew he was the one. Her heart beat faster, her fingers twitched and something deep and low went all fizzy with excitement. It was so strange, because he wasn't her type.

This man was nothing like the men she'd known before. He wasn't classically beautiful, but he was manly, and it turned her on. He oozed sex, and she wanted him to ooze sex all over her. Her female part tingled in accordance. Why he turned her on so much she'd never know. But she knew he was the man who would give her what she wanted most in this world. A family of her own.

That was when she knew. She was going to be a different kind of girl. Sharpay Evans was going to be a good honest working Texan. She was going to play by the rules and hopefully he'd get a few of those zingers himself. Of course the only people who knew the real reason she'd taken the job where Gabriella and Taylor who'd sworn over a bottle of tequila that it was alright in the name of love. To everyone else she was just trying her hand at something different, doing a little soul searching with a side of southern hospitality.

"I'm gonna go over to Chad's," Kelsi groaned as she stretched out her back. "Maybe let someone buy me a drink."

"Have fun," Sharpay said making a show of undoing her apron, she watched as Kelsi made her way out of the kitchen.

"See you tomorrow."

"Night," Sharpay hollered after her before turning back to where Zeke was working the dough for the croissants tomorrow morning. "What about you?" she asked in a lower voice as she leaned on the table a little. "It's been a long day."

Zeke's eyes moved up towards her with that familiar friendly smile that made her insides all mushy, "Not really tired," he said shrugging his shoulder. "It's getting late though. You should be heading out before it gets too dark."

"I'm a big girl," Sharpay said retying her apron around her waist and coming around to where he was. "Want some help? "

Zeke looked down at the dough he was working on, before looking back up at her, "If you think you can manage I don't see why not?"

Sharpay reached for the dough from his hands gently taking it from him and using her own hands to work the dough. "Anyone ever tell ya that ya work too much?" she said glancing over at him.

"Could say the same thing about you," Zeke said with a chuckle before turning around to pick up a tray of new dough he had to roll. "You really have a thing for this place."

"I knew working here was the right decision for me." Sharpay smirked as she worked the dough, she did like working at the café. It was the first time in her life that she felt like she'd made a good decision coming to work here. She needed to get out and meet people. She needed to busy herself. Granted, her daddy had laughed himself silly when she announced she'd be working at the café and her brother Ryan had rolled his eyes and called it another desperate attempt for attention.

They could both go to hell for all she cared.

"I'm happy to have you," he said beginning to roll the dough into little mini croissants.

Sharpay felt the blush creeping into her cheeks, she loved it here. The people were nice, she loved Zeke, and Zeke had given Kelsi a job when Kelsi couldn't find one anywhere else. She just felt like she belonged at the café.

"So, why don't you go to Chad's?" Zeke asked as he rolled a croissant.

Sharpay shrugged her shoulders as she pushed in on the dough, "Just a bunch of whistling up the wind. And hollering down a well." she said quietly. "Ain't nothing new happening over there."

"Aren't you worried about missing out on all the fun?" Zeke said making a motion towards the area her and Kelsi had been talking previously.

"I've had enough fun to last me a life time. I've been so low I couldn't jump off a dime," she said pushing some of her hair back.

"How do you come up with those sayings of yours?" Zeke asked with a chuckle, "I got to admit you're one of the most creative people I've ever talked too."

Sharpay let out a huff, "I'm not creative, I'm just Texan, and blond." Gabriella was creative. Why she hid behind that fake name always made her wonder. To write so beautifully was a talent, a gift given by god. It seemed so wasteful to be ashamed of something like that.

"And you're very beautiful," Zeke added as he glanced at her.

Sharpay smiled a little as she felt her heart race, she pushed at the dough as she worked it into the table. She could feel the blush on her cheeks.

"Why don't you have a boyfriend?" Zeke asked quietly.

Sharpay let out a low laugh as she looked up at him, "Don't pretend like you haven't heard what people say about me."

"I don't have to listen to rumors about anyone when I can judge them for myself," Zeke said standing up a little straighter as he looked at her.

"You're kind." Sharpay said pushing the dough again, before taking a break and looking up to meet his eyes. "I've always been the kind of girl who ate supper before they said grace. I'm just trying clean up my act. Be a better woman. Someone a man could respect. Not lay his hands on or rough up just cause he needs to feel better about himself." Sharpay's voice lowered as she looked back down at the dough on the table. "I was really stupid once."

"Sounds like someone else was," Zeke said turning a little to face her, "from where I'm standing your just really brave."

Sharpay smiled, "Been called a lot of things, never been called brave before?" she pushed on the dough again and Zeke hand gently reached out to touch her arm.

The touch spread through her and she felt the zingers maker her stomach flip and her cheeks blush. Standing this close to him she could feel his warmth, smell the scent of bread and sugar doughnuts that seemed to cling to him. She'd never craved a man arms around her as badly as right now.

"Some men can be real jerks;" he said quietly, "whoever it was, he didn't deserve you."

Sharpay shrugged her shoulders as she flipped her hair back over her shoulders. "Half the battle is just forgiving myself, for letting it happen for as long as it did," she said looking down for a moment. "He just kept saying sorry and I just kept coming back."

"We all make mistakes," Zeke said, "sometimes moving on just means letting it go."

Sharpay sighed, "these days I'd be lucky if I can just sleep through the night."

"You're having trouble sleeping?" Zeke asked with concern.

"I'm a toss and turner," Sharpay admitted as she placed a hand on her hip.

Zeke nodded, "I've been a little restless myself these days."

"Do you wear pajamas?"

"Excuse me?" Zeke said a little caught off guard.

"Do you wear pajamas to bed?" she repeated.

Zeke was quiet for a moment, "Why? Do you think that's why I can't sleep?"

They were quiet for a moment."We could take them off and find out?"

He paused. For a moment she thought he was going to tell her she stepped over some line, but she was so happy when he said, "I've never been sexually harassed by someone working for me."

"I'm glad I'm the first," she smiled as reached for a rolling pin from a nearby basket.

"You know what helps when you can't sleep?" Zeke asked placing the croissants on the new tray.

"What's that?" she said flipping some of her blond hair over her shoulder.

"A walk," he said with a smile, "maybe the next time you're feeling restless you should go out for a stroll."

Sharpay rolled out the dough, "What if it's too dark?"

Zeke was quiet for a moment as he examined his work so far, "Well, maybe if you call, I'll meet you and we can walk together."

Sharpay's smile pulled at her lips as she tried to control her breathing. Reminding herself to remain calm and collective. "That might be nice," she offered.


	7. Chapter 7

**Author Note.**

_Hey readers, _

_I'm published. My first book is out as a Kindle Edition called The Art of Unpacking, I am currently waiting on a proof of the paper back to come in so I can finalize formatting. Once that's all done my book will be available as a paperback copy and as a Kindle Edition. Links are on my profile page. I hope you guys continue to support me in my writing journey. Still getting ideas for new stories and I have another idea for another book. _

**Back to the story. **

Troy hummed along to Lee Brice, his pen jotting down information on some of the parts he was going to need Gabriella to order later that day for the shop. Lifting his wrist he wiped his brow and let out a sigh, if this heat wave didn't cool off soon he might actually have to break down and buy a new ac for the garage.

Normally he'd take his brakes in the office, where the ac actually worked but the last time he'd been in there Gabriella had been filing invoices. Which, normally didn't bother him, normally working in the same room as Gabriella was peaceful. Almost therapeutic even, smelling the soft smell of her perfume, watching her type on her laptop.

He didn't know if she knew it or not, but whenever she was working on something with so much focus she got this small crease right above her brow and her lips kind of parted slightly. It was the most adorable sight on earth and he could watch her work for hours. The curls hanging down over from that pony tail she always tied back. If he had to pick the one thing that made Gabriella beautiful it was her natural unknowing modesty.

It drove him crazy.

But today he'd stay in the garage. Today his modest Gabriella was wearing overalls. Short ones. With a green patch over the left ass cheek. That woman was trying to kill him by raging hard on. He could see the headlines now. Man dies from lack of blood flow to brain. Seriously that little button up Troy's auto shirt with the ripped sleeves was driving him nuts. And the woman even had the nerve to put her hair into two braided pig tails. It was like the woman turned into a sex tease overnight.

If he granted her sex wish and he'd forever be known as that guy. Turn her down and he'd piss her off, still driving a wedge between them. Everything about her rang out danger ahead. He stood by the work bench and dropped his clipboard down and picked up a cross iron. He needed to get a grip.

This was Gabriella. Kissing her had been a mistake. Thinking he could have her, an even bigger one. He wanted more than a temporary booty call. She was worth more, and he didn't care how much he wanted her, or had always wanted her. He wanted more than sex. Jason had treated her bad enough. Troy would not be added to that list of assholes.

Grabbing a tire form a pile he made his way across the garage to Sharpay's pink convertible that was currently lifted off the ground and in the shop for a tire change and rotation. He had just taken off the bad tire when the side door opened and Troy glanced behind him to see Gabriella walking in.

"Hey,"

"Hey," he responded placing the bad tire on the floor and picking up the new tire.

The soft taps of her feet over the concrete floor signaled her coming up behind him. Desire to walk away was strong, but he held his spot. She touched his back, and it was a struggle not to wince under her touch. Or turn and take her to the floor. They use to touch all the time, and it was never a problem. A little heat burned under his skin, but he could control that. This was so far out of his hands, he didn't even have the tail end of a string to grab.

"I need your signature on this order."

Troy got the tire up and on where it should be, reaching back he pulled the rag from his back pocket and wiped his hands. "No problem," he said taking the clipboard from her and then the pen.

"How's it coming along?"

Once he signed and handed her back the clipboard Troy looked up at the car and then back down at her, "Alright."

"Great," Gabriella said with a smirk, "How long do you think it will take?"

"Not long," Troy said tucking the rag back in his pocket.

"Is something bothering you?" Gabriella asked quietly, "you keep giving me these bland answers."

He shook his head and hid his feelings from her. It wasn't hard. Hell, he'd been pushing his feeling aside since Jason saw her first.

"Nope."

He walked away from the car. More importantly, he walked away from her because that was something else he was good at. When things started to get too comfortable, he left. It was the only thing he'd been able to do to keep his hands off his best friend's girlfriend-turned-fiancé-turned-wife. She may not be his best friend's wife anymore and Jason was no longer a friend, but the tactic still worked.

Gabriella frowned as she walked back towards the main office, he was being stubborn. Gabriella opened the door to the office and Sharpay stood up as she looked at her with eager impatience, "Well?"

"Nothing he didn't even look at me," she grumbled as she dropped the clipboard onto her desk. Troy's resistance could have been something as simple as he didn't see her as a woman who had sex. First, she had been his best friend's wife. Then a ripped-apart female in dire need of a shoulder to cry on.

She was neither of those things anymore, and it was time he realized the change. She stepped in front of the one way mirror that lead into Troy's office. By all appearances, she should pass as a sexually active woman.

"Are you sure he's interested?" Sharpay winced as she sat back down.

Gabriella turned around to face her, "He seems interested, kisses like he is."

"Well kissing and rolling around in the sheets aren't the same thing," Sharpay said crossing her arms. "Maybe you should undress a little more."

"Sharpay if I wore any less clothing I'd be walking around in a bra and underwear."

Sharpay lifted her hands, "Who says you can't?"

"The law?"

Sharpay let out a huff, "Well sure you can't walk around the supermarket in your Vicky Secret's but you can walk around your own home."

Gabriella dropped into her chair, "I might have some confidence but I don't have ovaries of steel. I'm not a runway model."

"Where is Brie Carmichael?" Sharpay said coming over to the desk and placing her palms flat on its surface. "You're next best seller is right under your nose, all you have to do is get the story. Last night you told me you got six chapters deep just with everything you've done so far. At this point you're not just going to sleep with that man to jumpstart your libido, you're going to sleep with that man for women everywhere. This is not the time to be as jumpy as spit on a hot skillet."

Gabriella let out a breath, she'd e-mailed Michael the new first six chapters last night. She hadn't heard anything back yet. "The storyline change isn't a sure thing yet."

"You're as scared as a cat at the dog pound."

"Am not," Gabriella whined.

The door opened and Troy came through causing both women to go quiet. Gabriella felt her body go through the usual barrage of feelings: the tingles, the shivers, and the hot flashes. Honestly did the man have to look so good covered in grease and dirt? Frowning she replayed everything from the night before in her head when he'd left her in the living rooming after claiming to be tired and heading up to bed. The evening had been perfect all the way up until that cheap kiss.

His eyes lingered on Gabriella for a second before he shifted to Sharpay causally, "I got two more tires to rotate then you're all good to go."

"Well, I'm just as happy as a boardinghouse pup."

Troy smiled, "I bet, you gotta be careful on those back roads Shar."

"Hey," she said jumping up in her place, "I have an idea?" Sharpay grinned wickedly, "What are ya'll doing tonight?"

Troy looked over at Gabriella and then back at Sharpay, "I was planning on having a beer or two at Chad's."

"Nonsense, you come onto my house for party!"

"Party?" Gabriella questioned.

"We'll have a big cook out," Sharpay shrugged, "Daddy just got the pool lighting repaired, be a shame not to celebrate the new look!"

Gabriella looked over at Troy questioningly.

Troy was looking back at her, "I guess we can."

"Well I'm cooking on a front burner today," Sharpay laughed as she playfully slapped Troy's shoulder.

Troy smiled as he tore an order slip from the clipboard and handed it to Gabriella, "Need these in by week's end," he said with a small wink.

"Sure no problem." Gabriella took the slip.

"Alright," Troy peeled his eyes off her and turned back to Sharpay, "Your car should be ready in a few, I'll bring her around front and give her a full tank of gas."

"Bless your heart."

When he was gone Sharpay turned around instantly. "Where that red bikini I got you last summer."

Gabriella raised a brow, "You're evil."

"I'm a Texan, go big or go home."

Later that evening Troy inwardly groaned as he and Blue stood in the kitchen, he should have gone to Chad's as he planned. He should go now, Gabriella had been to Sharpay's parties on her own before, surely she could handled herself now. Looking at his watch he looked up at the stairs, he could still make the game, the place wouldn't be too crowded. He reached for his keys.

Blue let out a sigh as he sat down on floor in front of him blocking off Troy's exit. Blue bowed his head in disapproval.

"Don't judge me," Troy said looking down at Blue, "you know as well as I do she's not going to come down here in a one piece."

The sound of a door shutting upstairs caught their attention and both of them looked up to where the sound came from. Steps on the stairs told him it was too late. Gabriella came down the stairs with her beach bag over her shoulder. "Are we ready to go?"

Troy inwardly groaned again. Gabriella's yellow sundress revealed bright red straps and the outline of her bathing suit. Not a one piece. He watched her as she toed on her black flip flops and moved towards him. With no make-up and her hair pulled back in a ponytail, she looked sexy, summery, and way too tempting.

She might be ready, but he wasn't. Not entirely. Her flowery scent made him want to bury his face in her hair, lick the smooth arch of her neck, nip her small earlobes, and kiss her tempting lips.

A pretty, pink blush stained her sun kissed cheeks. "You alright?"

"No."

Gabriella frowned, "What's wrong?"

"Blue looks sick."

Blue, at the sound of his name got up on all fours and totted over to Gabriella where he nudged his snout into her hand.

"What?" Gabriella sunk down to her knees instantly and held Blue's face up for examination, "You alright baby?"

Blue barked. Wagged his tail and offered a lick of happiness to Gabriella's cheek.

"He seems fine," she said with concern as she scratched him behind the ear.

Troy let out a sigh as he placed his hands on hips, "Must have just been an episode, I guess."

"Well come on," she said standing up and motioning for the time, "We need to get a move on." Gabriella made her way for the door pushing her sunglasses over her eyes.

Troy made his way around the counter as he glanced down at Blue who was wagging his tail and looking up with him expecting some form of affection.

"Couldn't let me just have that one, could you?" Troy said giving him a small pat on his side. "Come on," he motioned and waited as Blue stretched out before turning around to prance after his owner. "Just so damn proud of yourself aren't you."

When they got there Troy quickly disappeared to one of the coolers while Gabriella and Blue set up to lay out in the last rays of the sun. Troy watched from a distance as she gripped the midsection of her sundress and drew it over her head and then folded it and sat it down next to her.

Man, what had he gotten himself into? He tried not to gape and hoped to god drool hadn't formed around his mouth. Gabriella could give a Sports Illustrated swimsuit model heavy competition. Tanned and tone, with full breast, a flat belly and shapely hips, he desperately wanted to run his hands over her long legs, peel away her bikini, then lick, kiss, and taste every tantalizing inch of her.

Sharpay fell into the lawn chair besides Gabriella, "If you glare at him like that, you'll scare the poor guy," Sharpay said reaching a hand down to scratch Blue behind the ear.

"I'm not glaring at him," she protested, leaning back in her chair, "I'm conveying my displeasure over his lack of apparent interest."

"He doesn't look disinterested." Sharpay said glancing over at where Troy stood talking to some other men over the grill. "He looks like he wants to lick whipped cream off every inch of your body."

Gabriella snorted and tried to ignore him. It was impossible. He drew her eyes. It was more than his looks, it was him. She found him irresistible in a way she'd never experienced. It was disconcerting and exciting all at once. It didn't help that he really was watching her like he wanted her, just like Sharpay said. His stare was like a caress, and she felt it all over her body.

"You should talk to him," Sharpay said with a frown as she held up a hand to shield her eyes from the setting sun.

"He doesn't want to?"

"That's funny," Sharpay said looking back at her, "I didn't see you ask him?"

"I can't just leave Blue all by himself?" Gabriella said reaching down to pet him and jerking up right when she came across thin air. "Blue?"

Just then Blue ran past them after a Frisbee thrown by Sharpay's brother Ryan and dived right into the pool.

"Fine. Gang up on me," Gabriella said sitting up and placing her feet flat on the cool cement. Only she didn't have to go far because Troy was walking towards her with that small smile hanging on his lips.

"I'll go make sure there are enough burgers on the grill," Sharpay got up and walked off quickly just as Troy came over and took a seat in her deserted chair.

"Want to tell me what's got you worked up?"

"I'm not worked up." She crossed her arms. "I'm peeved."

Humor lit his eyes.

She punched his shoulder. "Don't you dare laugh."

"I wouldn't think of it," he said bringing his beer up to his lips.

"That's the problem, isn't it? You wouldn't think of it." She huffed. "Well I'm done then."

"Why do women always expect you to read their minds?" He shook his head, "I have no idea what you're talking about. What didn't I think of?"

"Me." She crossed her arms and got up from her seat as she made her way into the house.

Troy got up and followed, "I'm sorry I fail to see how."

Once they were inside he slid the glass door shut behind them, the kitchen was empty for the moment and secluded by the shades on the screen doors.

"Sex with me, to be exact."

"That's ridiculous. I think of that all the time," Troy said placing his beer on the counter top as she twirled around.

She started to yell at him and then his words registered. "You do?"

"How could I not, when you throw your incredible body at me and kiss me like you do?" he shook his head, eyebrows drawn.

"You don't look especially pleased about it," she accused.

"I'm not." He stalked towards her. "You harass me out of the blue about wanting sex, you begin to dress like a playboy bunny and as if it wasn't hard enough to keep my head in check you're walking around practically in your underwear."

"It's a bikini."

"You disrupt my day constantly with your sassy mouth, so that all I can think of for hours at work is kissing you. You're driving me crazy."

She backed up slowly. "I don't mean to drive you crazy."

"Yes, you do." He trapped her against the counter, his arms bracketing either side of her.

Color washed through her beautiful cheeks. Gabriella's lips parted as she breathed across them. He could see the way her chest moved with each deep inhalation.

His body reacted. The lazy hunger that had been flowing through his veins focused in tighter, right in his crotch. "You can't tell me you didn't realize it."

She swallowed shaking her head. "I did. But I just assumed you were being … that you were used to making women feel like you wanted them because you know, you have been with a lot of women." Reigning her confidence she lean in a little, "besides other than maybe three minutes ago you haven't looked at me that _way_."

"That's because I'm not a pig," he said with tension, "I'm a gentleman, and a gentleman doesn't come right out on a first date and tell a woman he wants to cover her beautiful body in chocolate and then suck every bit of sweetness right off of her until she's begging to be taken."

Gabriella let out a gasp, but he was too far gone.

"And it wouldn't have been terribly polite of me to tell you I've been wondering all day what color panties you have on. Whether it's a thong, whether the curves of your ass are really as round and sweet as I think they are."

"Oh my."

"Or that when I think about your thighs all I can think about is how easily my hands would wrap around them. How amazing it would be to lift them over my shoulders, getting the best possible angle so I could plunge into you, hard, and fill you so completely you feel like you're gonna break in half."

"Holy shit."

"You're trying to get me to lose my control."

Heart pounding, she looked up at him. "Am I succeeding?"

"I never lose control," he whispered hoarsely as he tugged her ponytail holder off and ran his fingers through that thick dark hair, spreading it across her shoulders. He tasted her soft earlobe, moving slowly down the long line of delicate neck, nibbling lightly, savoring the unique flavors of skin and woman.

Soon he was breathing down the front of her bikini top, his lips scraping the venerable skin just above the seam. Unable to resist, he nudged the fabric down just enough to gain access, groaning when he saw the hint of her nipple.

He had to go further. Running the tip of his tongue across that deep line of cleavage, he grabbed her hips just as she was beginning to sag holding her up right as his lips came up to meet hers.

She whimpered in pleasure the moment his lips touched hers. It was deliberate and in charge, so all she could do was wrap her arms around him and hold on for the wild way he kissed the taste out of her mouth, thrusting his tongue against her wildly as she tangled her fingers in the hair at the nape of his neck.

Troy instinctively dropped his hands, reaching for the round curves of the ass he'd been admiring since they met. Cupping those curves he savored the softness, squeezing her lightly.

When he finally let her go, Gabriella reached behind her and propped her hands on the counter so she wouldn't ooze to the ground in the puddle she felt like. "That was …" she said letting her words drift. "We have to do that again."

"No."

"No?" she wrinkled her nose.

"No." He reached for his beer.

She waited for more but it became apparent he wasn't going to say more, so she said, "Why not? Didn't you just say you think of me like I think of you?"

"Yes, but that doesn't mean getting involved with each other is a rock solid idea yet."

She wanted to say she didn't want to get involved, that she just wanted to have sex, but at the moment it felt like a lie. So she just said, "It's a great idea."

He lifted his beer for a sip and stood up a little straighter, "We'd be a train wreck if we just jumped into this."

"We'd be fireworks."

"More like the explosion from two trains colliding," he said pulling his beer away from his lips. "Why not just let me do this my way. Why don't you go on a date or two?"

"I don't have time or the energy for any of that romance nonsense."

"Just because you've had some bad luck?"

"Bad luck is dropping your phone in the toilet before you flush, my marriage was joke and it made a fool of me. I won't go through that again. I'm done with love. I just want a distraction, I want something to do and I don't want to worry about the day you'll get bored or the day someone prettier comes along."

"Brie,"

"I don't understand you," she said moving away from him and adjusting her suit. "I've heard you fuck just about every woman you've ever come in contract with. And I ask you for this one favor and you it's like I've asked you for the impossible."

"I just don't want things to be uncomfortable between us," Troy said taking a step after her.

"I didn't realize my suggestion would make things uncomfortable. I don't want that, so we can just forget I ever asked okay?"

Ha. He could forget as quickly as he could put pants on in the morning. "Things aren't that simple."

"Give it a few days. We'll be back to normal and all this will be forgotten. I don't want to lose you over this."

He shook his head and pulled on his shirt. "It'll never work like you want. Going through with it. Me and You. Together." He glanced at her a little annoyed to have to remind her of something so trivial.

"I know," she said looking down at her hands and taking a deep breath, "I shouldn't have asked. I thought I'd worked everything out."

"And what did you think? We could be together for a while and then just stop and things would go back to normal?"

A single shoulder lifted. Her gaze was downcast. "You do it often enough with other women."

That was the limit to his frustration on this entire situation. He crossed the space between them, "You are not other women!"

Her eyes flashed fire. "I'm not your sister, either."

"You know damn well I don't think of you as a sister," he said quietly as he tossed his beer bottle into the trash can behind her. "You're just stubborn, impatient and spoiled. News flash I'm not Jason, I actually give a shit and I'm here, not upstairs bending Sharpay over a couch."

Gabriella's hand reached up and slapped him across the face. The echo of the slap penetrated the room and Troy's entire face was turned as he looked down at the ground.

"I'm going home. You want a ride be in the truck in five minutes, otherwise I think we're done here."

Gabriella let out a sigh as she listened to the glass door slide open then slide shut. Quickly she lifted a hand up to her cheek and wiped away a stray tear. She needed to find a bathroom, then she needed to find a drink.


	8. Chapter 8

_**Author's Note: The Art of Unpacking is now available as a paperback book on Amazon.**_

"This is possibly the best thing you've ever written," Michael said over the speaker, "Honestly if I wasn't so relieved, I'd be upset about you wasting my time with those first three chapters."

Gabriella leaned back in her chair looking down at her laptop, "I don't have a title for it yet. And who is this reporter you want me to talk to?"

"His name is Martin Gibson, he works for the Boston Globe. Be careful with this one he sounds like he's trying to make a name for himself."

"I hate reporters, they have no souls."

"Now, now, now don't talk bad about our bread and butter. Let's talk about this book."

Gabriella rolled her eyes, "I don't have a clue what to call it, not really sure about the characters, and I'm pretty sure it suspends all the boundaries of belief."

"Who cares? This is gold, these characters are so real," Michael's voice raised a little louder than before. "You've really out done yourself this time."

She stilled. "Thanks," she said hesitantly.

"What's the matter?" Michael said with concern, "you don't sound like someone who's about to make a lot of money."

"You know as well as I do it's never been about the money." Gabriella shrugged her shoulders almost forgetting that he couldn't see her, "This story is different from the others."

"What do you mean by that?"

"I mean it not entirely fictional."

"Gabriella, you're making me drool. What's the story on this?"

Gabriella felt her shoulders shrug again and she let out a sigh as she lifted her feet onto the bed where Blue laid resting peacefully. "I mean that the characters are a work of fiction but the situation there in is not entirely fictional. I kind of know this guy who use to be Jason's best friend and we short of have an understanding but we're not quite dating, not quite hooking up. I mean it's almost like what's happening between Tucker and Georgia but now I don't know."

"Don't know what?"

"We called it off."

"You did what?" Michael said, the frown on his features coming over loud and clear through the speaker.

"You read chapter six, you know happens." Embarrassment flooded her; she could bury herself under a rock at this point. She never should have submitted those chapters. She never should have created Trucker. What was she thinking?

"Gabriella this is fantastic!"

Dropping her feet she spun around to face her phone "What do mean fantastic, this is a disaster."

"You're moving on," Michael threw out casually, "You're taking a bite out of life again and what better way to celebrate than to write about it."

Gabriella didn't say a word. The sinking feeling in her stomach was enough to keep her quiet.

"So you had one fight, hardly a reason to stop the ball from rolling. Do you know how I met my wife?"

"No."

"She was a cop, pulled me over for speeding. When she refused to give me her number I simply sped through her stop every day until one day she finally gave in and I got her number."

Gabriella face scrunched up, "Seriously?"

"Most expensive number I've ever paid for."

Bringing a hand up to her chin she tapped her bottom lip, "This isn't about love, I have no interest in ever getting married again as long as I live."

"So don't get married, love 'em and leave 'em for all I care just get back in there and get more material."

Gabriella let out a sigh as she leaned back in her chair, "morally this is repugnant."

"You're a writer, writers don't have morals."

After two one sided arguments with Blue that ended in a belly rub and twenty minutes of staring at the ceiling, Gabriella decided to make an adult decision. After a quick e-mail to Martin Gibson about meeting later in the week online she braved the outside world beyond her bedroom. When she came down the stairs she could hear the television in the living room. It had been three days since their argument. Luckily she had her writing to keep her busy, to keep her from wondering where he was, or what he was doing. Blue walked ahead of her into the living room where she assumed Troy was. Coming over to the fridge she opened it and brought out two beers.

Better to go in armed.

She was going to need courage to face him, the kind of courage that she hadn't had for the last few days. She walked into the living room to find Blue laying on the couch and Troy in his recliner as he watched the game. He was still in his work jeans, his white shirt covered in grease stains and his Troy's Auto shop shirt left unbuttoned. His beer was empty.

"Refill?" she offered handing him the extra bottle.

Troy looked up at her cautiously, didn't say a word but gently took the beer from her hand, "Thanks."

"Watching the football game?" she asked walking past him.

"Yeah," Troy raised a brow as he opened his beer and took a sip.

Gabriella sat on the floor with her back against the couch. Opening her own beer she placed the cap in the pocket of her shorts and then lifted her beer to her lips for long sip. "Who's winning?"

"Damn Broncos," he muttered as he relaxed a little. To be fair it wasn't the first argument they'd ever had, he was damn sure it wasn't the last. He was more concerned about where they stood in this new phase of the relationship. After that scene in the kitchen he'd come straight home and took an ice cold shower, one that had done absolutely nothing to make his hard on go away, or his anger subside.

Gabriella stretched out her feet in front of her wiggling her toes a little and unintentionally getting his attention. He couldn't help it. Whenever she was in the room she caught his eye. How was he supposed to forget about her stupid idea when she was still walking around in those cut off shorts and tiny tang tops.

A man just didn't forget about stupid ideas like hers. No matter how stupid they were, and hers was stupid. Sex with Gabriella. Anytime he wanted. Anywhere he wanted. Kinky sex. Troy shifted a little in his chair and tore his eyes away from her legs. He looked back up at the game. His eyes narrowed as he fought a persist urge inside him to look back down at her.

He'd been a fool to think he could momentarily escape that friend zone he'd been locked away in for seven years. He should have known better and refused her offer flat out. Told her no, from the beginning. He needed to get out of the house, find a pretty little blonde at Chad's and try to release some of the frustrations inside him.

"There's a big tailgate party tomorrow, Taylor told me Chad's sponsoring all the beer."

"That right?" he said quietly. He knew all about the tailgate. Troy's Auto was sponsoring the hot dogs. She should know, she did the books, but Troy stood quiet.

"The whole town supposed to be there."

Troy kept his eyes on the television, "Great."

"I was wondering if you'd like to go with me?"

Troy eyes shifted to hers and he jerked back to find that she'd moved to his side looking up at him with curiosity. "What are you up to Brie?"

Gabriella let out a sigh, "I owe you an apology," she said looking down at her beer. "I shouldn't have said what I did. You have your past and I have mine. We shouldn't be dragging all that baggage into whatever this is."

"Oh," Troy said looking at his beer, "there's a _this_ now?"

"Troy," she said getting up to her feet, she moved slowly around the chair till she was standing over him. Bending over she took his beer and hers and placed them on the floor by the recliner.

"What are you doing?" he asked, though he remained completely still and watchful.

She may be doing the preying, but she had the sense he was still the predator there. She crawled onto his lap straddling him. "I'm going to kiss you."

His hands held her by her hips, neither encouraging nor discouraging. "That's not a good idea."

"It's the best idea I've acted on in a long time." She tilted her head and brought her mouth to his. The first kiss was glancing, testing, but still warm.

The second kiss held none of the initial hesitation. She dove in, going for it. His hands stayed where they were but they tightened on her.

She lifted her head just enough to whisper against his lips, "Is this one-sided for you?"

"No."

"Then kiss me back." She shifted closer. "Like you mean it, Bolton."

He gazed into her eyes as if searching for her motives. But, frankly whatever her motive she had before came down those stair, right then and there she only wanted him for herself. Screw the book.

He snaked a hand into her hair, tipped her head back, and kissed her deep. It was slow and thorough, but as instantly hot as the heat wave that was still beating down on Payne Springs. All her various body parts came alive.

Throwing her arms around him, she pressed her body to his. Under his shirt, he felt solid. Manly. Her girlie parts sighed in pleasure and anticipation.

Her soul sighed. _Him_, it insisted.

She had to agree.

It was just starting to get interesting when Troy lifted his mouth, "We need to take this down a notch."

She just wanted him to take her period. But she didn't want to push him, when she clearly won this battle. So she simply sat back, everything in her body aching with disappointment. "Are we ok?"

Troy was quiet for a long moment as he stared up at her his gaze working its way over her body hungrily and at the same time distant. "The rules haven't changed."

"I had no expectations that they would," Gabriella said quietly, "It's what you want."

"What do you want?" he asked softly.

His tone might have been gentle, but beneath his palms, his muscles bunched with tension. He was holding back. The thought hit her as if someone had just dunked her into an ice bath. In that moment, she realized she had two options. Tell him the truth, that sex was her sole focus in their relationship. Or, do as Michael had suggested. Let things ride. Go with the flow. Stop thinking and overanalyzing.

Gabriella reached her hands up to his face, gently touching his stumble. She wanted to simply say "you." tell him how she'd wanted him from the moment she laid eyes on him. She wished, even for a small moment, that it had been him. That instead of Jason it had been Troy who had asked to take her home that night seven years ago. She wanted to tell him that she wanted to enjoy his company, in and out of the bed, however long it would last until he got bored with her. Instead she said. "Can't we just have fun and see where it leads?"

He shifted his weight and a gleam of disappointment flashed in his eyes but quickly disappeared. Troy let out a breath and his hands came down to her thighs. He didn't say anything and for a brief moment Gabriella wished she would have kept her mouth shut and just gone with the flow.

Troy lifted them both out of the recliner, his hands moving underneath her butt to hold her to him. In a sense of panic Gabriella wrapped her arms around him "Troy!" she shouted clinging to him as they made their way into the kitchen.

Without a word he placed her on the kitchen counter his blue eyes landing on her brown ones as he reached between them and began undoing her shorts. "So you want to have fun," he said purposefully using her words.

Her lips parted, and her face lost all its playful wonder as she stared at him with seriousness.

Unable to stop himself and knowing this went way beyond his no-sex rule, he pulled at those tiny little denim shorts and when she lifted her bottom just enough he slid them down her legs and over her bare feet. Their eyes never left each other's through the entire process. Using his hands he pushed her back until she was laying on her elbows looking up at him.

Looking down for the first time he took in the sight of her white panties with tiny black polka dots and green lace trim. Everything inside him stilled and he had to close his eyes as he committed the sight to memory. Opening his eyes he lowered himself closer to her.

With his head where he'd fantasized it being night after night, Troy didn't want to move. He didn't want to think about anything but stripping these panties off her and burying his mouth between her legs. Technically, neither of them had specified where a kiss could be placed. So, technically, he could kiss Gabriella the way he wanted. A thin line of justification, but at this point, Troy didn't care. He needed to taste her, touch her, feel her heat against his lips.

He brushed his lips where her panties met the hollow of her thigh. Baby soft and silky smooth, just as he imagined. The urge to lick and nip and kiss had his heart kicking out of tempo. He stilled again, kissing was allowed.

Massaging her hips with his hands, he swept his tongue along her inner thigh. Goosebumps instantly covered her skin. She sighed and widened her legs a faction.

His arousal thickened as he skimmed his mouth up the soft fabric of her panties. When he reached her belly button, he stopped and raised his head. "Look at me."

She pushed onto her elbows and met his gaze. He sucked in a breath and fought hard to control the hunger, the need, burning inside. Her brown eyes glittered with desire. The rapid rise and fall of her chest drew his attention to her breast, where the tips of her nipples pressed against her flimsy top. When he finally forced his gaze back to hers she cocked a brow and tilted the corner of her mouth. So sultry, so sexy, and, if he wasn't mistaken, she'd just challenged him.

Gabriella wanted sex, no strings attached. He wanted sex, with plenty of strings. But instead of getting busy with her he was busy trying to decipher his emotions. He didn't like it, but he loved the way she rested the arch of her foot on his shoulder and spread her legs wider.

Unable to deny her blatant invitation, he swirled his tongue over her belly button, then nipped her skin. Her only response was a quick intake of breath.

He ran his hand from her calf to her hip and settled his fingers on the green lace trim pulling at it lightly. "I think we could have lots of fun." Troy stood upright as he pulled the scrap of material keeping him from fulfilling his fantasies over her long legs until he was tucking them into his back pocket.

"If you think for one second that I'm going to let you keep those,"

Troy ran the tip of his fingers along her skin until he grazed soft curls, "What if I earn them," he murmured. He feathered his fingers into those curls until he found her swollen, slick opening.

She sucked in another breath, raised her hips a fraction, and shifted her eyes to where he worked his fingers. The way she watched him, eyes glimmering, lips parted, hand him hard and shaking. But he had a point to prove. One he wanted to make before he took this so-called kiss further.

He inserted his finger. She gasped.

"Oh yeah," he said. "I think we can have lots of fun and I can't wait to see where this leads."

She met his glaze then, "So what are you waiting for?" She pressed herself against his hand. The subtle shift caused his finger to drive deeper.

At this point, he didn't think he could become any harder. But as much as he wanted to have sex with Gabriella, he wouldn't. Otherwise he'd prove nothing to her, or to himself. He refused to be her boy toy and he worried that once he gave her what she desired, a little carefree fun and multiple orgasms, she'd be on her way. Back to her regular routine, her regular life. A life that didn't include him outside of a friendship.

She hitched her hips higher, pressed against his hand.

Then again maybe he should give her a taste of what's to come. Give her the sexual satisfaction she craved. Not to string her along, but to take the edge off and leave her begging for more of his kisses and his kisses alone.

Decision made, he couldn't resist pressing a second finger into her. So tight, so hot, he couldn't wait for the day when he could sink himself into her heat. Not today, through. Today was about her pleasure. And he planned to do everything within their no-sex, kissing-only guidelines, to give her that pleasure.

He drove his fingers deep one last time, slowly he withdrew them and bent his head and kissed her inner thigh, edged his way closer to her soft curls. But sudden pressure in his chest made him pause. This was all wrong. Binding her to him with sex, or even a variation of it, wasn't part of the plan. Rather something he was trying to avoid and the whole reason he'd set up his rule in the first place. But what if she grew bored? What if she sought sexual release from someone else?

Something inside him shattered. The thought of another man, cradled between her thighs, had him more coiled than a slinky and more determined to give her every reason to remain involved with him alone.

Throwing his rules out the window, he licked and sucked her labia, then latched onto her clit.

Gabriella groaned. She'd wanted fun, and Troy was giving her what she'd asked for. Her inner thighs trembled, her nipples felt as if they'd stab right through her top. She twined her fingers through his hair and held him between her thighs. She wasn't about to let him go, not until the fun was over. Even then, she wasn't sure if she could. His skillful mouth, his tongue, his lips, she'd never experienced anything more amazing.

Oral sex had never been her thing. She'd never had a problem giving it, but had always seemed to come up short on the receiving end. Not today though. Troy had her mind spiraling, her heart beating out of pace. She couldn't stop a moan from escaping when he inserted his fingers again, then honed in on her clit. Toes curling, she let the moment build, let him work his magic. Then he slid a third finger inside. White-hot heat radiated through her body, coiled in her belly, then burst.

Gabriella lay on the surface of a kitchen counter top she'd never be able to look at the same way again. The house was quiet except for the muted sound of the game on in the other room. She felt Troy leisurely kiss his way up her belly. Caressing her breast with his rough hands, he pressed his lips against her cleavage.

She shuddered and twined her legs around his back, drawing his big body on top of hers. His arousal nudged at her thigh and despite her glorious orgasm he'd given her moments ago, she wanted another. And another and another…

Running her hand down his back she grabbed the right side of his rear end through his worn denim. Then urged him on by spreading her thighs wider.

He wrapped her ponytail around his hand, eased her head back, and then dragged his lips along her neck and jaw. She groaned. Goosebumps rose over her skin. She melted against him, crushing her breast against his chest.

As he captured her lips in a powerful kiss he worked on untangling his body from hers until he was pulling away and safely holding out a hand behind him until he reached the wall. "I think that's enough fun for tonight."

"Are you sure about this no sex thing?" she said through her panting as she closed her legs, enjoying the new soreness between them.

"Yes. No," he said and chuckled as he slumped against the wall.

"You don't sound sure."

Heat simmered in his eyes as he held on to that damn wall for dear life. "I am sure of one thing."

"What's that?" she asked shifting herself so she could come down off the counter, her bare feet landing with a soft thud on the tiled floor.

"I don't think I'll ever get enough of you."

Still feeling boneless and sated from Troy's loving, the seriousness in his tone caught her off guard. She tensed, unsure of his meaning. "Not even after that kiss?" she asked, hoping to keep things light.

He shifted his eyes to her bare bottom half, "Which one?"

_Which one? _All of them, she wanted to scream. "Well you may have earned them, but I'm not letting you keep my underwear," she said gripping the counter behind her.

Troy chuckled as he reached into his back pocket and pulled out her crumpled panties. "There'll be other chances," he smirked as he gently tossed them to her.

Gabriella caught them and bent down, quickly redressing herself. Not that being naked in front of him was weird, after what he just did, it seemed foolish to feel modest. Gabriella walked towards her jeans and plucked them from the floor where he left them. "Want to order a pizza?"

"Want to kick Blue off the couch and watch a movie or something?"

Gabriella let out a smirk, "does this count as whatever number two?"

"No," Troy said with chuckle.

_**Author's Note: The Art of Unpacking is now available as a paperback book on Amazon.**_


	9. Chapter 9

The tailgate was a good old fashion gathering in the clearing, a big bonfire, lots of cook out food and an open bar with Chad and his latest hire at the helm. Everyone was dancing in truck beds or by the fire. There were people everywhere whispering conversations of gossip and everyday comings and goings. Behind Chad's bar in a secluded truck bed, on an open tailgate Taylor, Gabriella and Sharpay sat looking out at all the festivities.

Taylor sipped her drink, "So you guys are breaking your own rules?" she said pulling her drink away and reaching up to adjust her cowboy hat.

Tailgate parties were taken seriously, even in a small town like Payne Springs. Everyone had their cowboy hats on and big belt buckles on display. Gabriella looked down at her own cowboy boots. It'd taken her seven months before she broke down and brought her first pair. Ever since then she'd wore them all the time, if she wasn't in her flip flops of course.

"No," Gabriella said lifting her beer, "Technically kissing is in the rules."

Sharpay let out a laugh, "Face it, your phone's off the hook. All this kissing and rubbing is just frustrating."

"Well at least she getting further than you're little midnight walks in the park," Taylor teased.

"Who told you?" Sharpay gasped.

"Honey, it's a small town. Everyone knows you and that boy have been going on walks in the park every night for the last week," Taylor said looking to Gabriella who nodded in conformation.

"Yeah, holding hands and giggling like that in public isn't really a secret," Gabriella said lifting her beer to her lips.

Sharpay let out a breath as she sipped her drink and then reached up to tuck some of her hair behind her ear, "Hot damn is it me or is the wind's blowing like perfume through a prom tonight?"

"Don't change the subject," Gabriella teased, "have you kissed him yet?"

There was a pause as she Sharpay looked out into the crowd where people were out by the bonfire. Sharpay let out sigh as she looked down into her cup, "He may not be a chicken, but he has his henhouse ways."

"Then how do you say goodnight?" Taylor asked leaning forward.

"We've been hugging some," Sharpay said a little bashful about it.

"Who's a phone off the hook now?" Gabriella said with a smirk.

"Well at least my man is civil. Yours is so country he thinks a seven-course meal is a possum and a six-pack." Sharpay stood from the tailgate.

Gabriella and Taylor howled with laughter, "That might be true," Gabriella said playful, "But look who's talking?"

"Oh please, she's so spoiled salt couldn't save her." Taylor jumped off the tailgate as well, "Enough of this old lady gossiping, let's dance."

"Old lady?" Sharpay laughed as she led them out to the dance floor, "I haven't been old a day in my life."

"I swear the day you find a grey hair, heaven help us all." Gabriella came out onto the dance floor behind them her hands up as she snapped to the beat of the music.

"Well," Chad's voice sounded as he came up from behind Taylor and wrapped his arms around her. "What do we have here?"

"Hey," she said looking up at him with a warm smile, "thought you were working tonight?"

"I can take a break," Chad said with a smile, "Wouldn't want any of these cowboys to get any ideas."

Taylor let out a laugh as she spun around in his arms. She looked genuinely happy. Gabriella couldn't help the pulls of jealously inside her as she watched Taylor and Chad become lost in themselves.

"Hey, I'm going to go find Zeke." Sharpay shouted in her hear.

"Alright," Gabriella said with a laugh as she held on to her hat. Deciding to wonder she looked around through the crowd as people laughed and gossiped. She was glad she duded up, even if it was just an old jean skirt, and pink button up with the sleeves cut off. Given the size of hats and belt buckles, teased hair and tight wranglers, no one was messing around.

"Gabriella," Mrs. Patterson called to her, "How have you been holding up dear?"

Gabriella nodded and smiled as best she could, "I've been okay."

"You ain't gotta be strong for me honey," she said patting Gabriella on her shoulder. "Bless your heart, poor thing you must feel horrible. Jason leaving you alone, with not even a child to keep you company."

Gabriella eye brows shot up, "I don't know if that's entirely a bad thing."

"Well you just let me know when you're ready to saddle up again, my nephew coming into town, he's a marine."

He was also four years younger than she was. Gabriella nodded, "I'll keep you posted Mrs. P."

Gabriella made her way over to the fire pit needing to feel some of that heat on her skin.

"Hey Gabs, how you doing?" Tony Robertson asked as he handed her a new beer.

She knew Tony from somewhere, possibly from the garage. "Better, thanks Tony." She handed him her empty beer bottle.

"You let me know if Jason gives you anymore trouble now, you hear."

"Will do," Gabriella said with a sigh as she lifted her beer. Sometimes she didn't know why she even bothered. It pointless trying to forget your troubles in a small town, you practically wore them on your back right next to that big ole sign that read _'ask me how I'm doing?' _lifting her new beer she took a long sip and looked into the fire. Her eyes shifted and looked up through the flames to find a pair of blue eyes watching her.

Troy had been working late on the Thompsons tractor when she left for the tailgate. She hadn't really expected to see him here, then again she should have known better. Troy Bolton was a set in his ways country boy. There was no way he'd miss an event like this one. His green button up shirt was open revealing his classic grease stained white t-shirt. His wranglers were clean. His cowboy hat was black. He looked wicked. Sinful. Tempting. She could dig up so many more adjectives to describe that man. That was when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Dooley and me was real sorry to hear about Martha and Jason. We knew something wasn't right. Dooley wanted me to tell you that Jason couldn't pour piss out of a boot with a hole in the toe and the directions on the heel." Sarah said with kindness in her voice.

Funny thing was when she announced her engagement to Jason, everyone had been supportive and congratulatory. Where were all these warnings then? All these Jason was as dumb as a box of rocks comments when she could have done something about it? Like not marry the cheating son of a bitch.

"I'm alright," Gabriella said with a tight smile, "Divorce was settled over three months ago."

"Bless you're heart," Sarah said placing her hand on Gabriella's shoulder. "Tell ya what, you come on down to the saloon and I'll touch up your roots for you half price."

Gabriella nodded.

"We'll get you remarried in no time."

Gabriella let out a sigh as she waved good bye to Sarah. Turning back to the fire she frowned when she didn't see him. With another sigh she lifted her beer and took a drink from her bud light just as she turned, almost running into a massive chest. She instantly recognized those defined muscles and big biceps. He grabbed the top of her arm to keep her from topping over.

"How many of those have you had?" he asked.

"Not enough." She looked up past Troy's square chin and mouth into his eyes staring back into hers. "This is my second." She glanced about. "Where have you been?"

"Around." He slid his hand down her arm and took her beer from her hand. He swallowed a big drink, and then gave it back. "You seem to be popular this evening."

"I'm divorced and childless, you know how folks panic about that kind of stuff around here," she teased. She took a much smaller drink, then handed it back. "I've even gotten a few offers."

"Anything worth your while?"

"I'm standing here talking to you aren't I?"

Troy smirked, "Good."

Gabriella felt her chest swell a little as she watched him watching her closely. She liked the way he watched her. She grinned, "Why aren't you somewhere charming a redhead out of her training bra?"

He chuckled, low and masculine and completely at ease before taking a sip and handing her the bottle, "cause at the moment I'm charming a pretty little brunette."

"That's just cheesy." She took a drink, then handed him the bottle. "I should warn you, I haven't worn a training bra in long time."

"I'll manage." His glaze slid to hers and he raised the bottle to his lips. "I should warn you, I haven't had sex in a long time."

"How long?" Gabriella asked. He handed her the bottle and she took a sip.

"3 months." Once her place in his life had become crystal clear, his body had gone into a disciplined mode, knowing she would be the one and only woman he would make love to for the rest of his life. Now, the thought of that made his body go hard.

She choked on a mouthful of beer. Troy hit her back with the heel of his hand as she coughed and gasped and sputtered. "No shit?"

"No shit." He said, with a smirk as he grabbed the near-empty bottle, drained it, then tossed it in the garbage behind her.

She wiped her nose and mouth with the back of her arms. "Congratulations." She guessed.

He placed a hand beneath her chin and raised her face to the light. "You look real pretty tonight."

She looked into the eyes of this man she hardly even knew anymore. "Thank you." Her gaze slid to his chin, and her stomach kind of felt weird. Maybe it was chugging that beer.

He tilted her face a bit more, "Want to dance?"

"You know if we do that, there'll be a new string of gossip rolling though this town by morning."

"You worried about your southern bell reputation?" he asked dipping low a little to see her clearly underneath her hat.

Gabriella bit her tongue; she was just a little bit, seeing as how her name was already being dragged through the mud. "Not entirely. I mean people know we're good friends. Brother and sister like maybe. You've always short of treated me that way."

He smiled and his teeth flashed a bright white in the darkness, "There's no way you can think we have anything close to a brother-sister relationship after last night. But in case you need a little reminder…" he pulled her into his arms, lowered his head and captured her mouth with his.

Gabriella was instantly dizzy from his kiss, her hands came up to his arms to steady herself against him as he continued to thoroughly taste her.

When he pulled away from her, she was breathless, a little caught off guard and surrounded by the lingering warmth of his scent. Troy Bolton was dangerous. Deep down a part of her had known it, but she never been on the other side of his attention the way other women had. She'd always been safely tucked away into that cushy friend zone that kept their relationship clean cut and simple. Now that the lines had been blurred she felt like she should have been warned. Like someone should have told her to whistle before she walk into a stranger's camp.

"Wow," she whispered gently touching her lips with the tip of her fingers, "I can't believe you just did that."

"I couldn't help myself, you're a temptress."

She couldn't help but laugh. "I wouldn't know how to tempt a man on purpose."

"But you know how to tempt Me." He took a step closer to her and she had lean back to see him over the brim of her hat.

"Do I?"

"Yes, but don't go getting any ideas," he said with a wick grin, "Wouldn't want people thinking poorly of your reputation." He walked past her tipping his hat as he flashed her that grin that made her inside shake. "You ever go for a ride on a tractor before?"

"No," she said following him through the crowd.

"Do you want to?"

Gabriella thought about it for a moment before picking up speed behind him and following off into the distance. There was no doubt about it, by tomorrow morning there'd be talk. She'd be part of the latest Troy Bolton Trophy case. People would probably think they'd been going at it for years, they might even have them married or pregnant by noon. One thing was for certain. She didn't give a rat's ass.

Sharpay's pink cowboy boots pushed off in the sand as she held on to her hat and made her way to where Zeke was sitting by the fire. "Howdy stranger," Sharpay said as took the seat next to him. "What makes you so lonely tonight?"

"I'm not lonely anymore," he said with a smile.

Sharpay felt her inside shift a little. Her girlie parts began to party, and that voice inside signed and said Yes, _HIM_. She wanted to run up to him and throw her arms around him, to kiss the bejesus out of him, but she knew how he felt about fraternizing with the help, so she planned on behaving herself as well as she could.

"How have you been sleeping?" she asked.

"Alright," he said with a small smile, "I guess our remedy is usually for mild cases of insomnia."

"You're still having trouble sleeping?"

"Do you have another remedy?"

Sharpay leaned back stretching her boots out in front of her, "Well, we have just been walking briskly, I actually think the best remedy for we have might just be hot, sweaty sex." She gauged his reaction carefully. He was thinking about it, his eyes running over her legs, imagining it. Good, because she imagined it a lot, and why should he be exempt from the torture? "We'll try that next, if we need to resort to drastic measures."

"I can't."

"You can't have sex?" She dropped her gaze to his crotch.

"No." He scowled at her, "Not that."

"Oh, good." She heaved a sigh of relief. "Because that'd have made me sad."

"Think how it'd make me." He chuckled as he shook his head. They were quite for a while as the fire danced in front of them casting their shadows on the sand behind them. "I can't have sex with you. You're working for me. I told you that already."

"I could always quit," Sharpay said with a shrug as she leaned towards him a little. "Could always fire me?"

Zeke gave her a stern sideways glance, "you're working for me," he insisted, "and I never overstep the employer-employee boundary."

"You've never dated anyone you've worked with?" she asked curiously.

"No."

She hadn't either, but then again her working career wasn't that much experience to go on. Most of what she learned came from watching her father executive team. She been around a few corners or two when they thought no one else was looking. It never turned out well. It hadn't for her parents. "I like that you're principled, even if it puts a temporary dent in my plans."

"What plans?" Zeke asked curiously.

"To seduce you."

He kept his facial expression intent, like he was trying to cipher her out. Then, thoughtfully, he said, "What would you do?"

Caught off guard, she blinked. "Excuse me?"

"To seduce me. What would you do?"

The intensity of his gaze made her catch her breath, even though they were sitting completely still. She felt the pull of his body and wanted to touch him, but she managed to resist. She didn't trust herself not to mess the moment up.

Besides, not touching him was turning her on. She could see he wanted her, that he was picturing touching her, and that was almost as good as the real thing.

"Well?" he prompted his voice low with desire.

"Maybe I'd tie you up," she said recklessly. "I'd wait for you to come and use like an apron or maybe even a tie from your closet to bind your hands."

He didn't say anything.

Didn't he like that? Having him at her mercy seemed pretty hot to her. She pictured kissing him all over and knew her labored breathing wasn't from the heat rolling off the fire in front of them.

"That's the wrong picture."

She was startled out of her erotic dream. "How do you know what I was picturing?"

He gave her a knowing look. "You're the one who'd be tied up, although I have a feeling it'd take more than one tie to keep you still."

"So, are you offering?" Sharpay said shifting a little closer.

"No. You're working for me," he repeated looking back into the fire.

"And you don't tie up people who work for you. I know." She held up a hand to her temple. "Talk about a yellowjacket in the outhouse."

"You're not like anyone I've ever met."

"In a good way, I hope."

They sat there in silence for a while. She could tell he was thinking, and she let him. Until she felt right his hand take her left one in his. He clasped it, caressing her fingers with his thumb.

She pretended to goggle at him. "Hand-holding doesn't break your moral code?"

"It should." He didn't let go.

Warmth flooded her. He liked her, too. This was going to work out. She just had to keep convincing him. She didn't really want to give up her job at the café. She wanted him to see that she had his back and that she wanted to share his life, and then they could have lots if sex and babies.

"Do you ever want more than you have?" Zeke asked.

Sharpay looked over at him cautiously, "I have so much."

"So you're happy?"

Sharpay was quite for a moment as she thought about his question. "I want a baby," she admitted.

"That surprises me," he said looking down at her hand with raised brows, "I wouldn't have guessed that from you."

"What? I don't seem maternal?"

"That's not it." he studied her.

Sharpay frowned, "Now you're thinking that I'm getting too old to have children." She glared at him. "Yes, children, because I'd like to have three if I could, but at this point I'd take just one. I won't be greedy."

"I wasn't thinking you were getting old." Zeke said rubbing her knuckles with his thumb, "You barely look thirty."

"Yeah well my eggs are two hundred sixty-six in dog years."

He let out a quick laugh as he leaned in a little closer to her. They sat in silence until he said, "Why haven't you had a child by now if it's so important?"

"Because I didn't realize how important it was until recently." Until she'd realized she wanted to do something other than paint her nails and wear a push up bra all day. She'd spent a lot of her life just being something pretty to look at. But now since the café and meeting Zeke, her ideas and plans for herself were changing. She dreamed about an honest kind of living, about a family of her own to love and care for, or man who would love and care for her. "But I have a plan."

Zeke smiled, "I'm both curious and frightened to know what that is."

"Well that's because you're a smart man." She looked up at him. His lips were so close, it wouldn't take anything to kiss him.

She wanted to so badly.

He wanted it, too, she could tell by the way he returned her gaze with unwavering heat. He brushed a strand of hair from her face, his thumb a soft rasp on her skin. "Would it be alright if I kissed you?"

"If you don't I just might die on the spot."

Gabriella let out a laugh as they rode a long on the side of the road in the dark, "Where did you learn to drive one of these?" she asked holding onto her hat with her right hand as she leaned into him. Due to the lack of seating space she was currently sitting in his lap with her left placed on his thigh for balance.

"I'm a country boy," Troy said shifting the gear as he turned off onto the grass, "My grandfather had one in the back, me and Jason use to ride it all the time."

Gabriella shifted closer to him as the ground beneath them got a little more uneven, he was solid under her just the right amount of a reminder that he was an all American man underneath that stain shirt and those blue jeans. "Do you miss him?" she said trying to keep her head straight.

Troy was quite as leaned forward a little to adjust the head light on the tractor so he could see where he was going, "Who?" he asked biting down on his bottom lip and gripping the wheel tighter as he steered them to a clearing.

"Jason," Gabriella frowned as she looked up ahead at the small creek they were coming up to.

Troy brought the tractor up to the tree before he brought it to a stop. He didn't say anything, just cut the engine and stared out ahead of them at the water. He seemed to be deep in thought about something as if debating whether or not he wanted to talk about it. They never really talked about it, they talked about the divorce, about walking in on the incident, but never about what happened between Troy and Jason.

In a lot of ways that was fine with her because she felt guilty about coming between them in their friendship. No matter how many times Troy denied it, the truth was that since Gabriella came into his life she done nothing but solidify his loneliness. At first by it was just taking up Jason's time, then his heart, then his life and in the bitter end by forcing Troy to pick a side.

"It's just that I know you guys were best friends," Gabriella said nervously, "at least until I came along and broke you guys up."

"You didn't break us up," Troy said chuckling a little to himself as he causally dropped his big, solid hand onto her thigh, above her knee, and squeezed it. Not exactly the most erogenous zone on her body, but still, every molecule inside her leaped to attention. Her blood roared in her veins at the feel of that strong, warm touch, and she was completely incapable of stopping the visual images that flooded her mind.

Gabriella's skin tingled beneath the soft fabric of her denim skirt at the thought of him sliding that touch higher, caressing her all the way up her thigh as he kissed her again, just as he had back there at the bonfire. Slow, sweet, then deeper and harder. Wetter and faster.

She wanted him to kiss her in every way a man could kiss a woman, and in every place on her body. God, she was a complete wreck. Yet he seemed completely unaffected, still smiling that easygoing smile.

"Jason and I grew apart a long time ago," he said looking up at her with kindness. "That had nothing to do with you."

Gabriella tried to force her heart to slow its rapid pace, striving for the same nonchalance Troy obviously felt about his causally possessive touch on her leg.

"What happened? If you don't mind me asking," she said looking down at his tanned fingers starkly outlined against her clothing.

"He just changed," Troy said looking up at her, "One day we were fixing up old cars together and the next he just wasn't there anymore. He began acting like he was better than me. Like he didn't need me or like having me around bothered him."

"So why did you keep trying?"

Troy shrugged, "When you know someone for that long you just don't stop knowing them."

Gabriella was quiet for a moment as she studied his features, "I don't think I ever said thank you for what you did for me?" Gabriella looked out into the scenery taking in the peaceful setting. "Believe it or not I'm quite capable of taking care of myself," she laughed a little as she looked down at his hand again. "But it feels good to have you here for me."

"And I'll always be here for you," he said looking up at her and placing a soft kiss on her shoulder, "I'll give you anything you want just to make you happy."

His lips made her shudder all over and she let out a low breath. "Can I ask you something?"

"You can ask me anything you want to Gabriella, anything at all."

Gabriella's hand came down over his, feeling the warmth of his bare skin on the back of his hand. His hands were always so rough and callous from his work in the garage. Her fingers traced his knuckles as she thought about his fingers and what pleasure she gotten from them night before. It was almost enough to make her mouth suddenly dry from the nerves and jitters that scattered through her. "Why are we friends? Other than me just being the girl at the front desk at Troy's Auto." she finally managed.

Troy huffed as he chuckled to himself, making her wonder what was so funny. "Because you make me laugh, you do an amazing job at the garage, and you've always made me feel special, like I was a big part of your life. You're also kinder than most people around here. You might not be Texan bred but you're a tall glass of the best kind of sweet iced tea."

"Yuck," Gabriella frowned, "I can't stand sweet iced tea."

"Don't go talking bad about sweet iced tea," he said with a playful frown, "people might start to think you got too many cobwebs in the attic."

Gabriella smiled as she looked out at the creek in front of them, "It's getting late," she said looking back at him, "Why are we here?"

Troy raised a suggestive brow, "Wanna go for a swim?"

Gabriella lips tugged into a smile as she looked back at the creek, there was no around the area for miles in either direction. Turning back to him she bit down on her bottom lip before deciding to go along with it, "You know I don't have a swim suit."

"Neither do I."

"Are you suggesting that I go skinny dipping with you?"

Troy let out a laugh as he moved to get up from his seat, "Oh, now I never said anything about skinny dipping." Taking his hat off he hung it on the tractor's gear shift and then shrugged out of his over shirt. "But, now that you mention it," he said jumping down from the tractor and reaching up to grab her waist to help her down.

Gabriella laughed as she braced her hands on his shoulders until she was sliding down his body and her boots were firmly on the grass. They didn't say anything for a moment just the two of them standing real close to each other.

"Take off the hat."

Gabriella smirked, "Apparently I have bad roots."

Troy reached up and took it from her head tossing up onto the tractor seat, "So do I."

"I was talking about my hair." Her eyes watched as he took a few steps away from her and he lifted the hem of his white shirt up and over his head.

"I think you're hair looks fine," he said reaching for his belt and undoing the buckle, "You coming in or not?"

"I think I'll let you go first," she said placing her nervous hands behind her back as she watched him undo his pants. "Make sure it's safe?"

"Suit yourself," he said with a wicked grin before he kicked off his boots and brought down his jeans and briefs in one fluid swoop.

Gabriella eyes widen as she took in his naked silhouette in the moonlight. He looked like a god. In all the years she'd seen this man, she'd seen his body in so many different ways. Enough to know that he was rippled with so many muscles she couldn't even begin to name them all. Men like Troy only existed in her novels and even then the men in her novels had been loosely fitted to be like Troy.

Her heart was pounding in her chest as she watched him jump into the water. She'd never gone skinny dipping before, never been outside with at least her bikini on.

"Okay." Anticipation was flowing though her veins and she could feel her heart thudding in her chest. She toed off her boots as she watched him swimming around in the water. She'd never considered herself a sexual being, but Troy was proving just how passionate she could be. At least with him. She had a pretty good idea just what he planned to do the moment he mentioned swimming and thought of it was inciting every cell in her body to simmer with desire.

The thought that couples actually did stuff like this, actually had fun together, being adventurous, had her wondering what she'd been missing all these years. Reaching for the buttons of her shirt she began to undo them her finger trembling. Deep down she knew she hadn't been missing anything because the men of her past hadn't been Troy. Taking off her top she undid her skirt next and pushed it down letting it fall. Quickly as if she were ripping off a band aid she unhooked her bra and tugged out of her panties.

She was now at the water's edge feeling the cool hot air on her bare back and holding her arms over her breast in self awareness, a burst of nervous energy inside her as she looked around, afraid that at any minute they'd be caught.

"Scared?" His voice caught her attention and she looked up to see him standing in the water visible only from the waist up. "Get in here Brie."

Gabriella dipped her toe in the water, "In case I haven't mentioned it," she said as she took a step back. "This is completely crazy."

Troy let out a laugh, "Anything crazy is worth doing at least once."

Gabriella bit her bottom lip, "What if something bites me?"

"What if someone sees you," he teased.

Gabriella jerked forward a little as she quickly spun around to assure herself they were alone.

"Congratulations, I've just aged fifty years waiting for you."

A burst of giggles and excitement rushed through her as she held out a hand out, "alright, alright, I'm coming," she laughed as she took few steps forward.

She walked through the water her body slicing through it as the cool mixed with the warm summer night air. Her eyes sought out his and all her butterflies instantly fluttered to a stop. She couldn't even remember why she'd been nervous in the first place. This was Troy. After last night what was there to be afraid of?

"Cold?" he said as she came towards him her arms still tightly wrapped around her breast.

Gabriella smiled as she shook her head, "Actually the water feels just fine."

Troy smiled as he threw himself back into the water disappearing beneath the murky surface and leaving her alone above the water. She looked around reassuring herself that there was no one around to see them. Bending a little she splashed some water over her arms wetting the ends of her hair in the process. "Troy?" she called out looking around at the water, "I swear to god you better not-"

Before the words were out, Troy hands wrapped around her waist lifting out of the water and tossing her a few inches over to his left, creating a splash. When she surfaced he was standing close by reaching out a hand for her to grab as he chuckled to himself.

"You're an asshole."

"Aww come on, loosen up a little." Troy said taking her hand and pulling her over to him.

Gabriella used her free hand to wipe her face pushing her wet hair back. "Couldn't resist could you?" she said with narrowed eyes as she placed her hands on his shoulders.

"No," his eyes casually glanced down at her exposed breast watching them as the water lapped around her body. Jerking his gaze upward as if by force he looked into her eyes examining her reaction, waiting for something he wasn't sure of. His eyes fell to her lips and he lingered there watching them with hunger in his eyes. As if he hadn't already kissed just a while ago at the bonfire, it was as if he'd never kissed her at all. "I can't resist much of anything where you're concerned."

"Is that right?"

His hands came up her arms, sliding up her shoulders to her neck where he used his thumbs to softly rub her cheeks. "You have no idea what's it like."

Before she could catch her next breath, he seized her mouth with his. The first thing he did was seek out her tongue and the moment he captured it in his, she was a goner. He started off slow, plying her with a deep, thorough kiss as if he wanted to get acquainted with the taste and texture of her mouth, flicking the tip of his tongue all over the place, touching places she hadn't known a tongue could reach, while stirring up even more passion buried deep within her bones.

For a timeless moment, heat flooded her body in a way it had never done before, triggering her breasts to suddenly feel tender and the area between her thighs to throb. How could one man's kiss deliver so much pleasure? Elicit things from her she never knew existed?

Before she could dwell on any answers to her questions, he deepened the kiss dropping his hands down to her waist and pulling her closer. His hands lifting her up above him slightly while never loosing contact with her mouth as he held her close to him. She used her hands to grip his shoulders as he began mating with her mouth with an intensity and hunger that made her stomach muscles quiver. It was a move she felt all the way to her toes. She felt herself becoming feverish, hot and needy. When it came to a man, she'd never been needy.

He wasn't holding back on anything and his tongue was playing havoc with her senses in the process. It was a work of art, a sensuous skill. His mouth seemed to fit hers perfectly, no matter what angle he took. And the more it plowed her mouth hungrily, the more every part of her body came alive in a way she wasn't used too.

Troy grunted as he gently pulled away from her, lowing her back into the water and resting his forehead against hers. Neither one of them said anything for a moment. Troy kept his hands gently fitted on her waist holding her in place against him. It was just the sounds of the water around them and the light sound of their breathing.

"Why my door step?"

Gabriella jerked back looking up at him and catching the glint of the moon lighting his wet hair, "What do you mean?" she inquired.

"That night, you could have knocked on anyone else's door in town and they would have taken you in. Why did you drive across town to mine?"

Gabriella hands slid under the water coming back up and gently wetting his arms, "Because you're the closet thing I have to a best friend, outside Martha, Taylor, and Sharpay. After everything that happened it was hard for me to trust anyone. I just wanted to be with someone who wasn't going to make a fuss, or make me feel like I had to walk on eggshells," she said lowering her eyes to watch as her fingers traced his biceps. "I wanted to feel safe and you're the only one that makes me feel like that."

"That's funny," Troy chuckled as he brought a hand up to move a strand of hair from her face, "because you scare the living daylights outta me." Troy shifted leaning in and placing a soft kiss on her forehead.

Gabriella let out a sigh as her eyes fluttered shut, "I'm five foot two and hundred and ninety-eight pounds. There's nothing scary about me but my morning breath."

"True." Troy wrapped his arms around her tighter to hold her back from reaching up and hitting him in the shoulder like she wanted to, which only made her laugh.


	10. Chapter 10

Gabriella and Troy laughed as they came inside the house still damp from their swim, "Who'd have thought driving a tractor would have been so much fun?" she said as she made her way to the bathroom for towel to dry her hair.

Troy chuckled to himself as he put his keys on the hook and bent down to greet Blue who was smelling him with a tail that wagged so hard he could almost feel a breeze. "Hey there buddy," he scratched him behind the ear earning a soft whimper followed by a tongue bath.

"He likes you," Gabriella murmured as she stood in the kitchen drying out her hair.

"I like him too," Troy said standing up from the floor and making his way over to her. "You have a great dog, it's the only reason why I let you move in," he added playfully.

"I bet," she said watching him closely as he moved toward her. Being around him most of the day had put her nerves on edge. Every time he touched her or she caught him looking at her, she felt an overwhelming need to explore the intense attraction between them. His mouth and fingers had planted a need within her that was so profound, so incredibly physical, that certain parts of her body braved his touch.

She'd heard of people being physically attracted to each other to the point of lust consuming their mind and thoughts, but such a thing had never happened to her. Until now she'd only written about feelings like this.

Why was it happening at all? What was it about Troy, other than the obvious that had her in such a tizzy? Why did she suddenly want things she hadn't wanted before?

The entire situation between them should be a piece of cake. After all, she was more than sure that Troy didn't have those kinds of feelings for her. How could he after all these years? He knew too much, he knew she was spoiled goods, trash on the curb of another man's life. Who would want that kind of baggage?

"You should go to bed," Gabriella said softly, "It's been a long day."

Troy nodded, he was standing so close his body's gravity tugged at hers, making her waver. "What about you?" he asked.

"Are you inviting me?" she joked softly.

He touched her lips with a finger. "You don't know how tempting that is."

Gabriella parted her lips gently nipping his finger with her teeth, watching as he watched her intensely. She saw intense heat in the depth of his eyes just seconds before he lowered his mouth to hers. The moment she felt his tongue invade her mouth, she knew he would be kissing her senseless.

The last time they'd kissed, he had introduced her to a range of sensations that she'd never encountered before. Sensations that started at her toes and worked their way up to the top of her head. Sensations that had lingered in her lower half, causing the area between her legs to undergo all kinds of turbulent feelings and her heart all kinds of unfamiliar emotions.

This kiss was just as deadly, even more potent than the last, and her head began swimming in passion. She felt that drowning would soon follow. Blood rushing fast and furiously, through her veins with every stroke of his tongue. He was lapping her up in a way that had her entire body shuddering from the inside out.

She felt the arms around her waist tighten and when he shifted their positions she felt something else, the thick hardness behind the zipper of his jeans. When she moved her hip and felt his hard muscles aligned with her curves, the denim of his jeans rubbing against her bare legs, she moaned deep in her throat.

Troy released Gabriella's mouth and drew in a deep breath and her scent. She smelled like the creek, mixed with her perfume and her natural delicious scent. Her mouth was so soft and responsive, and it tasted so damn delicious. The more he deepened the kiss, the more responsive she became and the more accessible she made her mouth.

His hands eased from her waist to smooth across her backside. He could feel every inch of her soft curves beneath the damp material of her skirt and top, and instinctively, he pulled her closer to the fit of him.

"We should stop," he whispered against her lips, tasting the corners of her mouth while moaning deep in his throat from how good she tasted.

"Not yet," she said in a purr that conveyed a little catch in her breathing.

"How much more?" he needed to know. Any type of rational thought and mind control was slipping away from him big time. It wouldn't take much to strip her naked right now.

"I want all you can give me, Troy," she responded in a thick slur, but the words were clear to his ears.

He sucked a quick gulp of air into his lungs. He wondered if she had any idea what she was asking for. What he could give was whole hell of a lot. If he had his way, he would keep her on her back for days. Stay inside her until he gotten her pregnant more times than humanly possible.

"I'm sorry," he whispered taking a step back while hold her still with one hand gently pressed on her shoulder so she couldn't follow.

"Sorry you kissed me?" panic fluttered inside her.

"Sorry I have to stop."

"Oh."

They were quite for a moment as the tense feeling in the air shifted.

"I'm going crazy," Gabriella murmured, "I don't know how much more of this kissing-only-rule I can take."

"A little celibacy never hurt anyone," he teased with crooked grin.

Gabriella let out a sigh, as she turned away from him. "You hungry?" she asked walking around the counter.

"Sure," he said coming up to the table and leaning on it.

Gabriella opened the fridge and looked inside of it bending down to take out a few items. "I could make us some cheese quesadillas?"

"Need help?"

"No," she pointing at the bags she pulled out, "Everything's already diced up for it."

Her hands were tingling, as ideas began to consume her, ideas for Tucker and Georgia, ideas about tractor riding, skinny dipping and late night meals, a song from the tailgate ringing on repeat in her head. It all meant something. There was a chapter or two just in all the flashes racking around in her brain. It took everything inside her to keep her hands steady as she began to heat a large cast iron frying pan to medium high heat. To stay put and not run upstairs to her laptop and begin what would be an all-nighter of what if's, could be's and feelings developing between her characters.

"So, what's on your mind?" Troy asked as he lightly tapped the counter top with his thumbs.

Gabriella reached for the oil and shrugged as she smiled to herself, "Just excited," she said with a happy hum of sing song.

Troy watched her as she added a small amount of oil on to the pan and began to spread it around the bottom of the pan with a spatula. She was humming, whether she knew of it or not it was adorable. "About?"

Gabriella's smile fell a little as she took out one large flour tortilla and place it in the pan. "Nothing in particular really," she hesitated as she flip the tortilla over a few times, "Just in a good mood I guess."

Troy let out a huff as he glanced around the kitchen, looking down at his hands momentarily he glanced up at her watching her carefully. Good mood or not there where things on his mind from her questions earlier that made him think about things he didn't want to. "Do you ever wonder about your life?"

Gabriella turned around as she took a hand full of cheese from bag, "What do mean?"

"Like do you think about other things you could be doing rather than being here?" he said quietly, "Rather than just being the girl at the front desk of Troy's Auto."

Gabriella glanced over her shoulder at him with a frown, and then quickly turned back to the stove. "Troy," she said turning around and grabbing a zip lock bag of diced peppers, "It's not like that."

"Then what is it like," Troy said placing a hand on the table and catching her eye, "I'm more than you had a life and dreams before you came to Payne Springs, before you took the job at the auto shop and before you got married…" his voice trailed off.

Gabriella turned around severing his stare and sprinkling the peppers over the cheese before closing the tortilla and lowering the flame to watch it cook. "You're right I did have a life before I came here," she said reaching for the spatula, "And as I've told you and Jason before. I lost it all in the fire."

"Dreams don't burn Brie," Troy said quietly.

"Yeah well, they sure as shit don't turn out like you planned either." Gabriella frowned as she flipped the flour tortilla over; she held a hand over the pan feeling the warmth. Memories of the fire flooded her mind, memories of watching her childhood burn away in front of her very eyes.

Pulling her hand away she rubbed her fingertips against her palm, the warmth momentarily trapped in her hand. Mindlessly she used the spatula again to scoop the Quesada out of the pan. She reached for a nearby plate from the cabinet and placed it neatly on top.

She was caught off guard when his hand wrapped around her waist. She stilled as she watched him turn off the stove and take the plate from her hand and place it on the counter top. There was something about his presence that made her body relax, something about his touch that brought her mind roaring back into present.

"Where are you?"

"What?"

"You're somewhere else right now aren't you?" he inquired wrapping his other hand around her waist as well and holding her to him.

Her hands instinctively came up to his shoulders as she held onto him, enjoying the rush of comfort that came from his touch. "Troy, at the moment, I'm exactly where I want to be."

"And what about three years from now?" Troy said watching her carefully, "Will you want to leave? Maybe you'll want something else? Or you'll get tired of working for me in my auto shop? Have you thought about any of this?"

Gabriella frowned, "No, but obviously you have."

"Not until tonight," he said lifting a finger to tilt her chin up towards him. "Gabriella, I'm serious."

"So am I," Gabriella said with a shrug, "I'm pretty set in my ways as it is. I like it here in Payne Springs."

"Your truck broke down in Payne Springs, where were you going before that?"

"You know I have nowhere else to go," she said backing away from him, "Why are you asking me all of this?"

"Because something is happening here," he said a little taken aback by her retreat.

"No, nothing is happening here," Gabriella said motioning to the air between them, "We agreed this was a no strings attached fling."

"And I told you that wasn't possible Brie? Don't you remember that?"

"Then stop trying to date me?" she shot back a little louder than she intended.

"Is that really what you want?" Troy said with a raised brow.

"Yes." It was. It was insane and so far out of character for her, she hardly even recognized herself.

But that didn't change her mind. Gabriella needed to set the boundaries because clearly they were becoming blurred. She needed to protect the ground rules that would let her get out of this with her heart and her pride intact if things didn't work out. As, she already suspected given her history, they would not.

"It's this way or no way Troy," she said, her tone firm, her back ramrod stiff. "I'm not looking for a…a boyfriend."

He gave her a gesturing look.

"Or even a real lover."

"We're already lovers, Brie."

"Business associates with benefits."

He threw his head back and laughed which made the thick muscles in his neck quiver and brought Gabriella's attention to how much she wanted to sample it. And then sample everything else. But she still didn't have her answer.

"You already know as well as I do that I have no use for the typical games, romance and love and such. Think of me as a businesswoman and this is a business proposal I'm making."

"Strictly business. That's the only way you want it."

Gulping, she nodded. It wasn't exactly a lie.

Aching need swallowed him in the silence. Heavy weight hung from him. His hand fisted at his sides. He wanted to take her, to take her and have it over with. Deep inside, he knew what would happen. End it himself tonight, and the desire would be back by morning. Or likely sooner. She'd opened the door to this. She was there just waiting for him to say yes.

Why was he imagining it over and over with that wall between them at night when he could damn well have the real thing?

It wasn't how he'd wanted her, but it was a start.

He flattened his hand and placed it on the counter top, but his fingers curled with the need to hold her. Troy took a step towards her and she took a step back, he stopped and a small grin pulled at his lips. "Scared?"

"What are you doing?"

"Giving you want you want," he said taking another step towards her, "I really hope you don't like that shirt."

Before Gabriella could answer he had grabbed the top and ripped the shirt open popping a button or two off in the process and exposing her bright pink bra. Her brown eyes were wide as she stared up at him, but he didn't hold her glaze long, as he was lost in the curves of her semi naked body. She was made of nothing but soft and rounded edges. Of all the women he'd ever had, he couldn't remember one ever looking so… ripe.

"You owe me for that," she said when she found her voice.

"And I'll pay up," he responded as he pushed the shirt down over her shoulders until it fell to the floor, he looked down to watch as her breast rose and fell with her breathing. They looked heavy and full, he stepped forward and cupped them. Soft, plush weight filled his palms and he squeezed tighter. His right hand loosened and wrapped around her easily undoing the clasp with little to no effort at all.

She gasped and arched her back, thrusting her breast forward watching him as he slowly hooked his thumbs in the straps and pulled them from her shoulders. Once the bra was tossed to the side she brought her hand up to the buttons of her skirt pausing when his hand came over hers. "We might be doing this on your terms but we're still doing it my way."

"I don't-"

"I want to strip your clothes off you."

"Oh," it was breathless, almost faint. The surprised look on her face was priceless.

He reached and let his thumbs roll over her nipples which were begging to be kissed. She gasped and arched her back thrusting them more fully into his grasp. Closer to his mouth. He bent, the tip at his lips when he glanced up.

Her lips were parted as she panted. That ripened red seemed to color her cheeks, and her eyes were hazy. He ranked his thumb across her pointed tips and savored her sharp inhale. He pressed a kiss to the top of one plump swell.

Her hands slipped around his neck as he closed his mouth over the tiny peak and drew her in. Her hands threaded through his hair and clutched, pulling him tighter against her chest. Her nails raked over his scalp, and the tingle from her touch dropped down his spine. He sucked her hard and nipped at her tip until she cried out and clawed at his shirt.

Pulling away he reached for the hems of his shirt and tugged at it until it was up and over his head. Tossing it to the side he reached for the button of her skirt. Popping the button free and then slowly tugging down the zipper. Only instead of pushing them down he reached down for the hem of the denim material and hitched it up, revealing her pink skimpy panties.

Without saying a word he slowly began easing her panties down her thighs and her luscious scent began playing havoc with his nostrils as he did so. As soon as she was out of them he tossed her panties to the side as well and his hands eased back between her legs, slowly coming back up the inside of her thigh bringing back memories of the night before.

"I'm going to bend you over this counter and fuck you. I'm going drive into you until you come apart and you can't hold your head up. You're going to be limp in my arms, at my mercy."

Her breath hitched and he just hoped to God he'd hold off long enough to deliver on his word. He wanted this for her more than himself. He needed this moment to be a clear memory so when she thought of sex, she'd want him.

He undid his own pants shoving them down but not before reaching into back pocket and stealing a foil packet first.

He had muscular thighs and a nice pair of hairy legs. The way his briefs fit his body had her shuddering when she should have been blushing. Gabriella watched as Troy tore open the packet, her eyes glazed over almost as she was caught in the moment, not able to believe that any of this was real. She felt no shame in staring at him. The only thing she could think of at the moment was that _her_ country boy was very sexy.

_Her country boy?_

She couldn't believe her mind had conjured up such a thought. Her mouth was dry, her breast ached for his touch, and the lost of his attention was driving her crazy. As soon as he pushed his briefs down exposing himself to her she felt her breast grow achy as she started at him. He seemed to get larger right before her eyes. She caught her lip between her teeth and tried not to clamp down too hard. But he had to be, without a doubt, in addition to being totally aroused and powerfully male, the most beautiful man she'd ever seen.

He tore the packet open and placed the wrapper on the counter top behind him. Sheathing himself he let out a small sigh and looked up at her with a small smile, "Come here."

She did as she was told, coming to him within the instant and enjoying his searing kiss on her lips as his hands shifted underneath her hair holding her head to his and not allowing her to take a step back. Not that she would ever want to.

He his hand shifted downwards pushing her away from him and positioning her at the counter with her palms flat on the cool surface. His hands slowly moved her hair out of the way, allowing him access to her neck, and allowing him to taste her.

He wanted her to be his in more ways than just for this night, but he would take what he could get. He listened to her sigh under his touch as he continued to suck on her shoulder, knowing he was leaving a mark. But it was his mark. After this was over tomorrow, she would have that looking back at her in the mirror and the best he could hope for was that she'd want him again. And he'd keep marking her if it kept her coming back.

Finally pulling away he gently pushed her downward until she was bent over, leg parted, ready and waiting for him. He didn't have enough hands to touch her all over as fast and thoroughly as he wanted, but he did his best, keeping in mind this moment was for her, not him.

Without giving her time to release her breath, he centered himself and thrust into her in one long, hard push until he couldn't anymore.

Her head dropped back as a low rumbling groan erupted from her. Her hands reached out grabbing the edges of the kitchen counter now, but he didn't relent. Pulling back, he thrust into her sweet, tight entrance. When all he wanted to do was seat himself completely and savor the feel of her stretched around him, he plunged harder.

He pulled out and pressed in hard, fast, and deep. Her thighs trembling as she moaned his name under her breath. His hands were firm on her hips as he pounded into her rocking her back and forth a little over his hard cock that felt as if it might explode at any moment. His hands came up her body pulling her up to him making her arch so that he could fill her completely and at the same time and have his hands on her breast.

His weight was hitting against her, her ass knocking into his front, but he kept going, kept feeling her squeeze around him everywhere.

A ball of pleasure gathered deep inside him. Sweat dotted his brow, but he didn't stop as she came apart in his arms, head thrown back as she cries ripped from her throat, her breast pushed into his hands even further. She froze. Her release sucked his cock, milking it, coaching it to release, but he held off. This was her night, he was going to make it one to remember.

Reaching his hand forward and down he found her clit with his fingers and quickly but gently went to work in prolonging her orgasm. Her whimpering cries sang out of her over and over. Squeezing him tighter and pulling him in, taking him deeper.

His name hissed out of her lips and he was over with. A haze of nothing but Gabriella rolled though his mind. The high color of her cheeks and fiery passion of her body bolted through him with a sharp intensity that drew out his orgasm. Release shuddered though him, taking his strength, numbing his legs. His knees buckled and he placed his hands on her hips to catch himself. He hugged her body to him and lowered so he wouldn't fall over as air evaded him.

It had never been like that before, but then he'd never been with Gabriella before either.

"Oh my god," Gabriella was first to speak.

"Regrets?"

"No. Never." She swallowed and took another breath.

"Good," feeling was coming back to him as he straightened, "you get what you wanted."

"Troy," she whispered.

Troy withdrew from her body and he wrapped his arm around her waist. "Did you get what you wanted," he whispered it this time into her ear as his right hand fondled her chest.

"Troy, that was-"

"My turn."

Her eyes widened and before she knew she was lifted and being carried towards the stairs.


	11. Chapter 11

The early rays of sunlight across her face made Gabriella open her eyes and she immediately felt the hard muscular body sleeping beside her. Troy's leg was thrown over hers and his arms were wrapped around her middle. They were both naked, and by the sounds of his breathing, he was still sleeping.

The man was amazing. Last night he carried her all the way to the bathroom where they taken a warm shower together. His hands had worked magic shampooing and conditioning her hair with a gentle kindness she had never expected. Of course, when they were both clean he then lead her to bed where they made love two more times before drifting off into a quiet slumber.

She drew in a deep breath, wondering which part of her was sorer, the area between her legs or her breast. Troy had given special attention to both areas through most of their sessions.

Deciding to get more sleep, she closed her eyes and immediately saw visions of them together. But it wasn't a recent image. She looked older and so did he and there were kids around. Whose kids were they? Certainly not theirs. Otherwise that would mean…

Her eyes sprang open, refusing to let such an apparition enter her mind. She would be the first to admit that what they'd shared last night had overwhelmed her, and for a moment she'd come close to challenging everything she believed about relationships between men and women. But the last thing she needed to do was get off-track. Last night was what it was, no more, no less.

"You're awake?"

Troy's voice sent sensations running across her skin. "Who wants to know?"

"The man who made love to you last night."

She shifted her body, turned to face him and immediately wished she hadn't. Fully awake he was sexy as sin. A half asleep Troy, with a stubble chin, drowsy eyes and long eyelashes, could make you come just looking at him.

"You're the one who did that to me last night, aren't you?"

A smile curved his lips, "I'm the one who plans to do that to you every night."

She chuckled, knowing he only meant until he got bored with her. Shifting she sat up a little to find Blue quietly resting at the foot of the bed. "I'm sorry we took over your bed," she winced shifting more so and bringing the blanket up with her to cover her chest. Jason use to hate it when Blue snuck into the bed with them, in fact throughout her marriage they slept with the bedroom door shut and Blue devotedly on the other side.

"Don't be," Troy shifted so that he was watching her, "I don't mind."

Gabriella lifted a hand to sooth her hair, suddenly aware of the fact that while he was look gorgeous her own appearance must be dreadful. Her morning hair never looked decent; in fact she never went to bed without pulling it back into a ponytail. Not that she had the option last night.

"I should really go," she murmured, "I need to get ready for work."

Troy chuckled as he placed a hand over her midsection, "It's Sunday."

"Oh," Gabriella looked down at his hand "Then I should go so you can sleep."

"How about you stay and I give you a foot rub?"

Gabriella began nibbling on her bottom lip. She needed to work on her book, usually she did that in the early mornings when he was still sleeping. She already had so many things she wanted to write about so many things she wanted to call Sharpay and talk about. How was she going to get out bed when he was asking her to stay and tempting her with foot rubs? A weakness he knew damn well she couldn't resist.

Maybe she should tell him?

As soon as the thought came to mind she mentally shook herself. Telling Troy about Brie Carmichael would only raise more questions than it answered, or worse, what if he laughed at her.

"Let me do that."

She lifted her gaze to his eyes when he interrupted her thoughts. "Let you do what?"

"This."

He leaned closer and began gently nibbling on her lips, then licking her mouth from corner to corner teasingly. When her lips parted on a breathless sigh, he entered her mouth to taste her fully. The kiss grew deeper, hotter and moments later when he pulled his mouth away he placed his fingers to her lips to silence her protest. "Stay."

When she finally nodded his lips curved into a wicked smile.

They didn't leave his bed until somewhere around noon and when she was finally free she gathered her laptop and Blue to head over to Sharpay's house. Needing distance to steady the butterflies in her stomach, time to process what happened last night without watching a shirtless Troy walk around tempting her with his smiles and touches.

"So just like that?" Sharpay said hoping up on to the kitchen counter. Her father was out golfing with Ryan leaving them alone to talk.

Gabriella cradled her cup of coffee at the kitchen table where she sat, "Just like that." She still couldn't believe what happened herself. She didn't know where to start analyzing. From the point of having sex in the kitchen over the very counter she ate at, actually spending the night in Troy's bed or spending the entire morning there.

"Well?"

Gabriella looked over at Sharpay, "What?"

"Why aren't you throwing your hat over a windmill or something?" Sharpay said leaning over and grabbing her wineglass. "You had sex, you liked it, and he still has all his teeth and a full head of hair. Why do you look like you chewed twine?"

"I wanted to tell him."

"Tell him?" Sharpay frowned, "Tell him what?"

"About Brie Carmichael," Gabriella said louder than she intended. She looked back at her laptop on the table then at Blue who was resting on the floor between them shifting his head from one paw to the other as he drifted back off to sleep.

"Why haven't you?"

Gabriella shrugged, "I not sure, I mean I know it's not a big deal but it feels like it is."

Sharpay was quiet as she lifted her wine glass up to her lips.

"Writing is such a large part of who I am, I just feel like I've been hiding it for so long that if I told him…" her voice drifted as she thought of the worst, best, and craziest endings for the scenario in her head. "I mean Jason-"

"Screw Jason." Sharpay rolled her eyes and crossed her left arm under her breast. "Jason was jerk, an idiot, and a cheat. He took advantage of you Gabriella."

"Exactly my point," Gabriella muttered.

"Troy isn't Jason, don't confuse sir sex-a-lot with sir cheating-money-stealing-prick."

Gabriella leaned back in her chair tucking a loose strain from her ponytail back behind her ear. "I've been lying to him all this time, writing about him, I mean even now."

"Whoa? You wrote about Troy before?"

Gabriella bit her lip as she looked down at her laptop with guilt.

"Gabriella?" Sharpay, "You've written about him before this?"

Gabriella stood up wrapping her arms around herself and letting out a sigh, "I think I've been writing about Troy for seven years."

"You think?" Sharpay reached for the open bottle of wine and refilled her glass, "Are you sure you just want coffee?"

"It's Sunday," Gabriella said letting her hands fall to her side.

"So what? Jesus drank wine, I'm sure we'd have been drinking buddies. Tell me more about your Troy infatuation."

Gabriella let out a huff as she brought a hand up to her temple, "I just always pictured him as a leading man." Gabriella shrugged her shoulders, "I spend 8 hours a day in an office with him. He's a good friend, he has a way with women, and he's attractive."

"You were also married," Sharpay pointed out, "I thought you were writing about Jason? All that sexual tension and wild passion I thought…"

"Yeah. Not really," Gabriella made her way back to her chair, "Jason and I were comfortable with each other, we loved each other, we just didn't have that … spark."

"And you married him?"

Gabriella winced, "I was young, stupid, new in town, and with nowhere to go. I didn't know anything about sparks, sexual attraction or what I was feeling. It happened so fast I barely knew what was happening."

"Sparks like the ones between you and Troy?" Sharpay said quietly, "You didn't know you had feelings for Troy."

"I don't have feelings for anyone." Gabriella reached for her mug and brought it up to her lips, "I'm just divorced and lonely. Besides you called it, Troy is sir sex-a-lot, it will only be a matter of time before he moves on."

"Even a blind hog can find an acorn once in a while."

"What?" Gabriella said looking up at Sharpay, "I swear, sometimes I barely understand you."

Sharpay shook her head and took a sip of her wine. They were quiet for a moment as both girls listened to the sound of Blue's soft snores.

"Well, divorced and lonely or not. You should tell him the truth."

"I can't." Gabriella placed her mug down on the table, "I'm too embarrassed."

"You've got nothing to be embarrassed about. You're a grown woman with needs and he's a grown man who cares a great deal about you. I've lived in this town with Troy Bolton my whole life and he's never been as careful with any of the females around here as he is with you."

"So what?"

"So that means something," Sharpay said coming down from the counter top, "You mean something to him and if you've been writing about him for seven years he must mean something to you too." Sharpay walked over to the table and placed her wine glass in front of Gabriella with the bottle. "Have drink, write, stay as long as you like. I won't bug you anymore. I got my own love life to fret about you need me I'll be sexting in the living room."

Troy sat back on the couch as Chad and some of the other guys from town hollered at the television. He hadn't been expecting company, or a mob of men to take over his house but when he answered the door and seen Chad with a case of beer and pizza. He couldn't turn him away.

"How's business going?" Chad asked as popped the top on another beer.

"It's going," Troy said with a shrug, "Gabriella's working on an ad for the paper."

"Sounds like a great idea," Jimmie said leaning forward for a slice of pizza, "I'll talk to Tiara about it, she's been trying her damnest to fill the paper but it's not like anything ever happens here in Panye Springs other than the occasional yard sale."

"Well that and Troy adding notches to that bedpost of his," Donny let out a laugh as he leaned back in his seat. "I seen Kelsi sniffing around the other day at that BBQ you threw."

"Kelsi Nielsen?" Jimmie asked.

"That's the one," Donny looked over at Troy, "you chop out a notch for her yet?"

"Kelsi's just a little lost is all," Chad said when Troy didn't answer, "That girls been in the bar and grill hitting on anything with a third leg."

"Kelsi and I don't mingle in that sense," Troy said with a raised brow, "We flirt here and there but we don't go there."

"I'd go there in a heartbeat if she looked my way," Donny said tipping his beer in Troy's direction.

"Kelsi's not like other girls Donny, you get her naked you better make it worth her while." Troy advised as he lifted his beer, "The girl talks."

"Don't all girls talk though?" Jimmie said with a laugh, "Sometimes I skim through the paper before it goes to print just to make sure Tara's not letting on to much in her self help column."

"Not my Taylor, she's a good girl." Chad reached for a slice of pizza.

"Taylor sells crotch-less panties for a living," Troy reminded as he tipped his beer in Chad's direction, "No one in town thinks she's not passionate."

"Or a good girl," Donny added with a chuckle.

Troy couldn't help but smile as well as he watched his best friend flip Donny off. Troy looked at his beer as he tuned out the conversation about football. Thoughts of last night came flooding back to him; there hadn't been one single part of Gabriella he hadn't wanted to devour, and all at the same time. He'd been greedy, and so had she. His woman had more passion in her body than she knew what to do with, and he was more than willing to school her in all the possibilities.

But he also knew he had to be careful. He didn't want her to start thinking that what was between them was more lust than love. His goal was to woo her every chance he got, which was why he'd made it a point to call the florist in town as soon as she had left this afternoon.

"How are things with Gabriella?" Chad's voice cut into his thoughts, "Has she driven you crazy yet?"

Troy shook his head as he smiled a bit. Gabriella had driven him crazy but in a way he'd rather not bring up to the guys. "Gabriella's been doing her own thing mostly."

"She's another one I'd love to get a chance with," Donny said with a sigh, "I don't know how you sleep at night with her underwear just in the other room."

"I sleep just fine," Troy said a little grimmer than he intended. He wasn't a stranger to hearing others talk about Gabriella, with all the attention her divorce got people brought her up every time they had a chance. Men expressed their interest in teaching her how to keep a man, women had blamed her for not being a good enough wife. He'd heard a lot of things he had to swallow and take with a grain of salt.

He really didn't care about what other people thought. He'd been living in Payne Springs all his life and he knew if you wanted to have any kind of peace in life, you had to shake off the rumors at the door and learn to smile and say you're God blesses even if you didn't mean it.

All that matter to him was that Gabriella was with him, wherever he was. And as he lifted his beer to his lips and listened to Jimmie telling Donny about Martha and Jason's sordid affair, he knew that making that happen was still his top priority.


	12. Chapter 12

"Will there be anything else, Ms. Westchester?" Gabriella asked as she wrote up the invoice.

"No that'll be it dear," the elder woman reached into her purse and begun digging around in search of her wallet.

"Well then it'll be $32.98," Gabriella said as she ripped the invoice from the booklet.

"Those are some very pretty flowers," the woman said once she had her wallet in hand. "A secret admirer?"

Gabriella glanced up at the older woman who'd come in this afternoon to get her windshield wipers replaced, "Something like that," Gabriella said looking at the flowers that had been delivered not long after she got in this morning. A dozen red roses. Why had he sent them? The card that accompanied them only had his signature on it. And what was more annoying was that they were simply beautiful, and the fragrance suffused the office.

"Are they from him?"

Gabriella jerked as she looked up at the older woman with surprise.

"You're not seeing him again are you?"

"Again?" Gabriella looked back at the flowers a little confused.

"Jason."

"Oh," Gabriella let out a sigh and lifted the invoice to hold it out for the older woman. "No Jason and I are over," she said with a tight smile. "There aren't enough flowers on earth for that to happen again."

"Oh good," the elder women said as she took the invoice and pulled some money out of her wallet. "So who are they from dear?"

"Not sure. No card," Gabriella said quietly.

When the older woman walked towards the door to leave, she let out a quiet sigh of relief and leaned back in her chair. She looked up at the flowers, she'd put them on her desk so that she could glance at them while she was working and appreciate their beauty.

Unfortunately, seeing them also made her think of the man who'd sent them. She threw her head back in frustration. She had to stop thinking of Troy and start concentrating on her work.

Gabriella watched as Mrs. Westchester left the office momentarily letting in the heat from the outside world into the cool room. Looking back up at her flowers she allowed herself five seconds of admiration before she let out a grunt and stood up determined to hide them.

"Good, you got the flowers."

Gabriella froze as she looked up to see Troy closing the door behind him. It was hardly the morning after sequence but given that it was the first time they were actually alone since Sunday afternoon when she left for Sharpay's it was essentially what the morning after feeling was all about. She pulled at her jean skirt a little not really confident in herself at the moment, but nowhere to hide from him.

"Why on earth did you send me flowers?" she heard her voice say as she crossed her arms over her chest.

Troy smirked, "Don't even try to act like you hate them," he said writing out something on his clipboard.

"I don't hate them."

"Then what does it matter why I sent them?" he countered tearing the slip off the note pad and handing it to her.

Gabriella glared at him as she took the slip. "This feels very relationship-ish Troy."

Troy let out a soft chuckle as he leaned close over the desk purposely invading her personal space. His eyes looking at her Troy's auto shop collar button up that suggestively hung open three buttons from the top. From this angle he could see the faint hint of his mark on her collar bone, and a possessive streak of pride ran through him like lighting. "Is this not a relationship of some sort?"

"You know what I mean," Gabriella said looking at the flowers, "you know I love red roses."

"Then what's wrong with me buying you red roses?" Troy said in low voice as his eyes came up to her lips.

"People are gonna start talking?"

"People are talking," Troy said standing up straighter and making his way over to the wall where he hung up his clip board. "We might as well give them something fun to talk about."

"Speak for yourself, I've been something to talk about for 14 months," she sighed, "Seriously, is it asking too much for a national disaster or mass murder to come rolling through town."

"People hear you talk like that," Troy said pointing at her with frown, "It's going to be another 14 months before they stop being afraid of you."

"Ha, ha, ha," she said placing the slip on a pile of others and then crossing her arms.

"You wanna go on lunch?"

Gabriella sighed as she grabbed her car keys, "What do you want this time?"

"I have something in mind, if you're up for it?" Troy said taking the keys from her hand.

Gabriella eyed him with caution, "maybe we should set some more ground rules," she said quietly, "I'm not an exhibitionist."

"Neither am I, but I was suggesting a picnic."

"You packed a lunch?"

Troy chuckled, "don't get excited it's a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with some homemade lemonade."

"Sounds yummy," Gabriella said placing a hand on her hip, "So where is this picnic at?"

"Well, follow me." Troy held out an arm and Gabriella hesitated before she slowly looped her arm through it. Not really sure what to expect or what she should do about the butterflies in her stomach. It would be unbelievably easy to fall in love with a man like Troy.

She should know, for the last seven years she'd been writing about the kind of women who would. But there was something about him now, something different. She walked beside him stopping when he did at the door.

"Come on Blue, this wouldn't be the same without you."

Blue jumped up from his spot besides the desk galloping towards them with excitement. When they turned into the garage Gabriella frowned as she watched him pull down the garage door. His muscles flexing as he pulled the chain, encasing them in the privacy of garage. When everything was locked up he turned towards her with a small smile, "What's wrong? Scared?"

"A little?" she said watching him carefully. "Most horror movies start out this way."

"You're perfectly safe," he laughed as he wiped his hands on the rag from his back pocket.

She knew he was right. She could feel it in her bones, a sense of security settling over her as Troy walked towards her. Someone could make millions if they bottled up that feeling and sold it to frightened women everywhere.

Gabriella looked down at Blue who was standing beside her, his tail wagging lazily. "If he goes for my kidneys, I want you to go for his balls."

"Really?" Troy said as he made his way over to an old red and white convertible parked on the lift.

"Whose car is this?"

"Mine," he said casually opening the back door and motioning for Blue to hop in. "It's a restoration project I've been working on in my down time."

"It looks pretty," she said looking at the slick frame work. She knew very little about cars and what she did know she learned from working at the shop with Troy. She watched Troy close the door for Blue and before she could register what was happening he was walking towards her and ushering her towards the passenger seat.

"I don't understand," she said looking at him oddly, "I thought we were going on a picnic?"

He helped her into the car and shut the door, "With all the kindness in the world, shut up and let me surprise you."

Troy bent down shoving his hand underneath her pony tail and adjusting her so he could taste her lips, eagerly making a meal of her mouth and tasting her with a hunger he almost couldn't control. Thankfully with the door between them and stopping him from going any further he pulled away and reached into the back seat for the basket he placed their earlier.

Coming around he hoped in the driver's seat sitting the basket down between them on the bench seat and then taking hold of a small black box she hadn't noticed been sitting beside her. Granted after a kiss like that she wasn't sure of her own name for a second or what she was about to ask.

"Ready?"

Gabriella glanced over at him taking in his wicked smile, "For?"

"Our Picnic," he said hitting the button.

A loud noise startled her as she felt the ground beneath them jerk and then begin to rise causing her to grab hold of the dashboard. "Oh my god!"

Troy chuckled as they continued to rise into the air adjusting so he could reach a hand back and give Blue a scratch behind the ear. Once they were up high enough he stopped the lift and put the box on top of the dash board to the side.

"You alright?" he asked looking over at Gabriella once he was sure Blue was fine.

Gabriella was leaning over the edge looking down, "Holy shit," she said turning around to face him. "Do you do this all the time?"

"Only when I need to think," he said with a grin as he opened the basket and took out a bone for Blue. "Made sure I didn't forget about you buddy," he muttered reaching back to hand the bone to him.

Gabriella let out a sigh as she turned in her seat, "Troy this is epic," she said shifting so she could face him as he turned on the radio. Randy Houser softly filled the air about good night kisses as she openly admired the man sitting beside her. Troy Bolton was a man who might as well have walked right off the pages of one her books. Confident, sure, crazy with a smile that could cause such sin it should be condemned from daylight.

"I'm happy you like it, hopefully it will distract you from how ordinary our lunch is."

Gabriella laughed, "Nothing about you is ordinary, I'm surprised you even know the word," she said reaching in the basket for a sandwich. "How on earth are you still single?"

"You'd be surprised," he said with a crooked grin as he began to unwrap his sandwich.

Gabriella began to unwrap her sandwich as well, "So why didn't you ever settle down?"

It was quiet between for a moment as he thought about his response, "I guess you could say the right girl just hasn't been available to me."

"That just sounds like your being picky to me," she laughed as she leaned in for the first bite of her sandwich.

"Or I could just be sure of what I want," he said causally before leaning in and taking a bite from his own sandwich.

Gabriella licked her lips as she lifted a finger to swipe at some of the jelly in her sandwich, "What kind of girl are you looking for?"

Troy reached into bag and took out a thermos that held the lemonade. "One of a kind, someone who makes me feel like I'm exactly who I wanna be when I'm with her."

Gabriella watched as he poured the lemonade into the thermos cup, "So you're looking for her?"

"No," he said capping the thermos, after a moment of hesitation he spoke again. "I already know where she is, I'm just waiting for the right time."

"Who is she?" Gabriella's voice caught, and she disgusted it with a cough before reaching the cup he offered. The thought of Troy with other women always nerved her but she knew they never really meant anything to him. However the idea that he might be harboring feelings for someone else almost made her skin crawl.

"A friend," he offered with a shy smile.

"Oh," Gabriella said quietly as she lifted her cup to her lips, faces ran through her mind. Suddenly she was searching through the crowd for anyone she might have missed.

"What about you?" Troy asked quietly.

"I'm done with all that," Gabriella laughed softly as she looked down at her cup. "I really don't have any expectation when it comes to my love life anymore."

"Why?"

"I just feel like I have too much baggage at this point," she said letting out a sigh, "I mean I was married and I obviously wasn't good at, sexually my experience is-"

"Stop it."

Gabriella winced inwardly, embarrassed to let him see that she was in way over her head. Her few sexual experiences in the past bore no resemblance at all to what was happening between them. "Troy he cheated on me," she said with a shrug, "Obviously he didn't leave me because I was a temptress in the sheets."

"Some men just don't know how to handle a real woman when they have one," Troy said looking down at his sandwich, looking back up at her he caught her eyes before she could look away from him. "There is nothing wrong with you."

"How are you so sure?" She asked almost breathlessly.

Troy wrapped up the last of his sandwich and dropped it in bag before reaching across the bench seat for her sandwich and wrapping it up as well to put it away. Once their hands were free he pulled her towards him and she came willingly not really sure what to expect.

When his lips smashed down on hers, she could almost feel the electric current running through her body from the touch. She was helpless to him, not able to resist the way he devoured her mouth like a starved man. He slanted his head taking the kisser deeper still as he removed the cup from her hands, once free she wrapped her arms around him. Enjoying the feeling of him pressed against her. She moaned deep in her throat when she felt the warmth of his fingers on her bare thigh and wondered when had he slid his hand under her skirt?

When those fingers began inching toward her center, instinctively she shifted her body closer to his. The move immediately parted her thighs.

As if his fingers were fully aware of the impact they were having on her, they moved to stake claim on her most intimate part. As his fingers slid beneath the waist band of her panties, she released another moan when his hand came into contact with her womanly folds. They were moist and she could feel the way his fingertips were spreading her juices all over it before he dipped a finger inside her.

The moment he touched her there she pulled her mouth away from his to throwback her head in one deep moan. But he didn't let her mouth stay free for long. He recaptured it as his fingers caressed her insides in a way that almost made her weep, while his mouth continued to ply her with hungry kisses.

Suddenly she felt sensations that started at her midsection and then spread throughout her body like tentacles of fire, building tension and strains of sensuous pressure in its wake. Her body instinctively pushed against his hand just as something with in her snapped and then exploded, sending emotions, awareness and all kinds of feelings shooting all through her, flooding her with ecstasy.

When the feelings became too strong she pulled away from his mouth her finger shifting through his hair as he came closer to her watching her as she watched him. His eyes roaming her face as he continued to push her over the edge. "That's it. Come for me Brie," he slurred thickly just above her mouth. "You feel it, me working your body, making it do what I want it too," he said increasing the rhythm, "I'm so unbelievably hard for you, watching you come apart for me."

"Troy," she whispered, the brink of her climax just about ready to spill over.

"Beautiful," he murmured. "Sexy, you should be made love to everyday."

A look of such tenderness appeared on Troy's face, it took her breath away to think it was directed at her. "Oh Brie, you have no idea how you look after I've made you come. You wear your happiness on your face for hours afterwards.

Had any man ever touched her with just a whisper the way he had with such caring tenderness. The answer was easy. Absolutely not.

"This afternoon, when you go back to work, you're going to have that soft smile on your face and that glow in your eyes. Your skin will be flushed and you'll be a little slow and dreamy in your movements, like your body is there, but every other part of you, heart, mind and soul, is right … back… here."

With the last few final stokes she completely came apart letting out a deep piercing scream, unable to hold back. Muffling her cry he took her mouth again and he kept kissing her in this devouring way until she felt deliciously sated and her body ceased its trembling. He finally released her mouth, but not before he gave her a few parting chase kisses on her bottom lip.

It was then that she opened her eyes, feeling completely drained but totally satisfied. Quietness settled around them the faint voice of Blake Sheldon thanking god for giving him someone played in the background and she peered over the seat to see Blue fast asleep with his bone in his mouth.

Had she fallen asleep? Was this a dream? Had they really just done what she thought they did? Had she really allowed herself to be fingered in the front seat of his car? A car suspended high up in the air? Thoughts of other sexual acts came to mind before she could stop herself. She wasn't supposed to be doing this. Being with Troy should be light and fun, sexually appetizing and freeing. She shouldn't be allowing herself to think of him in future terms. Her heart shouldn't feel so heavy with feelings she couldn't possibly begin to short out in the front seat of his car while he was so close to her.

Her eyes shifted towards him and she was a little stunned to find him still watching her. Heat filled her face and she wonder if he saw it. At least he had no idea what she was thinking. Or did he? He hadn't said anything yet. He was just staring at her and licking his lips. She felt like she should say something, but at the moment she was speechless.

Troy's nostrils flared from the scent of a woman who'd been pleasured in the most primitive way. He would love to strip her naked and taste the dewy essence of her. To brand her with his tongue and make her keep screaming his name, like so many dreams he had over the years.

She was still staring at him as if she was trying to figure out why and how this thing had happened. He would allow her time to do that, allow her time to get acquainted with the idea that he was the one who gave her such pleasure.

"We shouldn't have done that," she said quietly.

Troy raised a brow, curious as to how she could say such a thing while his hand was still inside of her? Maybe she had forgotten where his fingers were because they weren't moving. He flexed them, and when she immediately sucked in a deep breath her gaze darkened with desire, he knew he'd succeeded in reminding her.

And while she watched, he slid his hand from inside her and moments later he brought it to his lips and licked every finger that had been inside her. "I'd have to disagree with you."

He saw her throat move when she swallowed with her eyes still latched onto his. "This is all very overwhelming."

"But it's what you wanted isn't it?" he said, "something other than just vanilla."

"Yes but," Gabriella eyes fell to his lips and she took her bottom lip between her teeth for a moment. "I don't want you to feel obligated-"

He reached out and pushed a strand of hair away from her face. "I would never feel obligated or take advantage of you, Gabriella. I'm not that kind of guy. No matter what we're doing, you always have a right to say no." A part of him hoped she would never say no to any direction their attraction might lead.

"I would never think that of you," Gabriella said quietly, "you would never take advantage of me."

Troy was quiet for a moment as he watched her closely. He'd been fighting with himself all morning with his next thought. Debating the real rights and wrongs about what he was doing. Troy took a deep breath as he settled a little more comfortable beside her, "That's good, because I've been thinking about you're situation."

"Situation?" Gabriella raised a brow.

Troy closed his eyes for a moment as he looked off into the distance, not ready to meet her eyes or come to terms with what he was about to suggest just yet. Just because you know something was the right something to do didn't mean it was any easier to do it. "Maybe you need to start dating again."

Gabriella eyes shot open, "Excuse me?"

Troy shifted in the seat reaching over and taking her hand in his, "Relax."

"Are you bored already?" she asked unable to keep the horrified gasp from her voice. They just barely begun and he was already trying to get rid of her. That was it. It was over.

Troy let out a laugh, "No," he said quietly pulling her closer to him, "Has anyone ever told you, you shouldn't believe everything you think."

Gabriella, who was still tense, looked at the dashboard of the car. "I don't understand what's happening, why do you suddenly want me to see other people, you wanted to be exclusive."

"I do," Troy said quietly, "So you have to promise me that if you feel like you're going to sleep with someone you have to tell me."

"Now I'm sleeping with someone else?" Gabriella jerked upright turning around to face him, "What the hell Troy. What about five seconds ago when your hand was up my skirt? Do you think that happens every time I leave the house because I assure you no one is –"

"Gabriella," he said cutting her off, "You don't understand. I want to be able to give you what you need and I intend to be the man that gives you everything you've ever wanted, but you're never going to be sure about what you want, if you don't put yourself out there for opportunity."

"Is this about me working here?"

"This is about you being more than just the girl at the front desk. More than just someone ex-wife, I want you to have something that's yours."

"I have a life," Gabriella said a little frustrated. She was Brie freaking Carmichael for crying out loud. New York's Best Selling author and Payne Springs best kept secret. Gabriella opened her mouth to speak.

"You know I told Jimmie about the ad you're writing for the paper," Troy smiled.

Gabriella's face fell. "You did."

"Yeah and he said there having a hard time filling the paper," Troy let out a sigh as he gave her a knowing look, "I know how much you like to write I think you should take the job."

Ice made its way through her veins, "You know I like to write."

"Well you're not playing solitaire all day," Troy laughed playfully, "I know you type a lot."

"Right," Gabriella let out a sigh as she lifted a hand to brush back a stray strand from her temple.

_He intended on being the man who gave her everything she wanted? _ A puzzled Gabriella walked into the office, Blue quietly making his way over to his bed as he laid down with his bone. Coming to the desk she looked at the flowers. When had he decided that? Before their deal? During their first kiss? Or after that last one?

She shook her head. It definitely hadn't been before the deal. She pulled in a deep breath, not really certain of anything at the moment. Slowly she sunk down into her chair as she looked at the blank screen of her laptop. She'd always noticed him as a man from afar, but only in the complimentary way, since she'd always assumed that he was taken. But she'd be the first to admit that she was beginning to see Troy Bolton in a whole different light.

Touching the pad on her laptop she watched the screen come to life. A thought came to mind a slow burning idea in the back of her mind. Something that Sharpay had said last night.

_I've lived in this town with Troy Bolton my whole life and he's never been as careful with any of the females around here as he is with you. _

Gabriella shook her head, she'd be foolish to start believing dreams like that. She married his best friend after all. What would people think? What did people already think?

Gabriella looked down at her trembling hands slowly. It was no use to pretend. She wanted him. And falling in love with him would be as easy as breathing. Certain heartbreak loomed ahead like a deadly reef. But she refused to look in that direction. Instead she opened up the word document on her screen and she began going to work on someone else's life. Putting together the pieces of someone else's broken heart and shelving her own problems for the time being.


End file.
